Don't choose your expert based upon the lowest cost per hour, as the lowest cost generally comes with the highest price, maybe the loss of your case.
Mike Panish has been working with attorneys for both the plaintiff and defense sides of cases since the year 2000. Since that time, he has been retained as expert witness or consultant on over 600 cases. The majority of those cases have not gone to a deposition or trial. Why so few, when some experts claim to have testified hundreds of times in depositions and court? I think the real reason is the type and quality of services that Mike Panish provides to his clients. The information that Mike uncovers during his inspection and includes in his analysis and reports enables his clients to sometimes achieve results without the need for extensive further discovery of his opinions.
Mike Panish is a very well-known expert in his areas of expertise, and is probably the most frequently retained expert in his fields (door injuries and defects, automatic doors, cabinetry, furniture & architectural millwork defects and injuries). Mike offers immediate attention to all of his clients, has exceptional support staff, and can get his clients excellent results.
Mike frequently suggests that a site inspection of the location where the incident took place be made as soon as possible after he is retained. If possible, it is the surest way to understand the situation and guarantee that his opinions are solid and based upon an actual observation, not an explanation from a third party or past investigation by someone else. Compared to many expert service groups or agencies where a generic investigation was done by an unrelated investigator or other third party, Mike's observations and inspection protocol are completely incorporated into his services. He does not base his assessment of your case on someone else's missing elements or inconclusive photographs. When Mike is given photographs taken by another person, he often finds that the critical aspects that he would need to render his opinions are missing. A person attempting to document with photos must understand what he is photographing and what critical elements and points need to be documented.
Mike Panish has personally inspected most of the sites pertaining to his cases. Exceptions to this inspection policy come with sites or locations that no longer exist; equipment has been removed and disposed of, or new ownership that will not allow observation of a site that was previously owned by a litigant.
Mike Panish generally offers his expertise and services under five major categories.
Construction Expert (Most Construction Trades) – Defects & Injuries
Doors & Door Hardware – Defects & Injuries
Automatic Door Injuries
Cabinetry, Furniture, & Architectural Millwork Expert – Defects & Injuries
Premises Security & Liability (Criminal, Rape, Elder Abuse)
A full list of all of the areas of expertise, services, and trades can be found at this link.
A tremendous amount of information about an injury or defect site can be discovered if Mike is able to inspect it in-person. For instance: In the case of a store related injury, other key elements of the culture of the environment give invaluable information about the overall level of quality that the management offers to their customers. Store conditions, appearances, employee attitudes, and various plans and procedures can all provide a strong indication as to how the alleged incident may have developed.
Does the expert you are evaluating for your case have strong writing and verbal communication skills?
If you are searching the internet for your expert, pay close attention to the composition and grammatical layout of your potential expert's website. See what information is really found on that site, and if the provided information is accurate and truthful. An expert that does not possess strong grammatical skills will be the expert that you will need to hand-hold and guide throughout his report. A couple of attorneys recently told Mike that they were very concerned with other experts they were using on other current cases. Those experts could not spell correctly, put a sentence or paragraph together, or develop a convincing report without assistance. The last thing any attorney wants is an expert that cannot make his opinions clearly understood. In addition, if you as an attorney end up writing the expert report, ethical behavior may be in question. Putting an expert on the witness stand that cannot communicate effectively may lead to the loss of your case. As Mike Panish's clients have experienced, strong reports and undisputable opinions lead to early equitable settlement.
It is very important that you find an expert that truly specializes in
the field you are investigating
When you are working on a medical related case, there may be thousands
of doctors across the country that can be retained as your expert. When
you are looking for an experienced expert in Mike Panish's fields,
there are really only a couple of choices. Some experts offer theoretical
concepts, others claim hundreds of trials and court appearances under
their belt.
In reality, when you retain Mike Panish as your expert, you may never have
to go to trial. Mike Panish's reports and his informative support and assistance that
come as part of his retained services get results for all of his clients.
Mike has been the expert in many cases where the opposition's expert
has been excluded, limited, removed, or replaced.
In court proceedings Mike's opinions have frequently stood alone and
unopposed. Choose your expert based upon a thorough working knowledge of the services
you are requiring. Don't choose an expert based upon the lowest cost;
you usually get what you pay for. An incompetent expert that lacks experience
regarding your area of needs may in fact cost you the case.
Michael Panish is a forensic analyst, expert witness, and working building contractor with extensive hands-on experience in many trades. He has current cases in many diverse disciplines and can help you with your case. He is a truly unique expert and unlike any other expert that you may have used in the past.