GOOD NEWS FOR ACCIDENT VICTIMS!
One of my “pet peeves” about going to court for my clients is the high cost charged by expert witnesses. In injury cases, it is usually necessary to bring the treating physician to court in order to describe to the jury the injuries my client received, as well as the consequences that my client will have to endure. Since doctors do not come to court for free, bringing a doctor to court can cost many thousands of dollars. In some cases, the sad reality is that my client simply cannot afford the cost of going to court. In such cases, the insurance company enjoys an enormously unfair advantage.
But there is good news on the way! Starting on July 1, 2011, the jurisdictional limit of the General District Court will increase from $15,000 up to $25,000. Why is this good news? In the General District Court, it is possible to present an injury case with an affidavit from the doctor instead of bringing the doctor “live” and in person. There is relatively little cost associated with using the doctor's affidavit instead of his live testimony. This procedural change will remove a serious financial obstacle for those cases that have a value in the $25,000 range. It means that the courts will be much more accessible for the working men and women who I represent. Their disputes with insurance companies will now be able to be resolved in many cases without having to pay the high costs of bringing a physician to court. For those of us working hard to achieve justice and fairness for the working man or woman, it is a welcome development to be able to go to court without having to pay a “toll” of many thousands of dollars in expert witness fees.
