Expert witness testimony: the ethics of being a medical expert witness

Abstract

Giving testimony as an expert witness in court carries numerous ethical obligations, which are rarely delineated by the individuals who seek such testimony or even known to those who provide it. Because most expert medical witness testimony about the performance of physicians requires that a witness be medically licensed, and because verdicts based on expert testimony directly influence the standard of care that will be applied in the future, providing medical testimony legitimately can be considered to come within the realm of the practice of medicine. Testifying as an expert in legal matters should be undertaken with the same degree of integrity as the practice of medicine and is rightfully subject to the same degree of scrutiny and regulation.