Most people have heard of expert witness testimony, but many are unsure as to how such individuals are qualified as “experts” in a court case. Steel fabrication experts must meet certain criteria before they may testify in the courtroom. Although laws vary from state to state, most follow the guidelines set up by federal law. These guidelines ensure that the steel fabrication experts are knowledgeable and will provide useful information to the court so that a judge or jury may make a decision based upon the facts of the case.

Expert witnesses must be knowledgeable in the subject matter they are hired to testify about—in this case, steel fabrication. In most instances, the expert will be asked questions about their experience, training, education, skills, and other such factors. In many cases, the expert must provide a list of publications and previous testimony prior to the trial or hearing. There is no hard and fast rule regarding expert qualifications; each court has the discretion to qualify or refuse to qualify steel fabrication experts.

After the expert is qualified by the court, the expert witness may offer testimony for the judge and jury to consider. So long as the expert’s knowledge will help the court understand the evidence presented or figure out disputed facts, the expert may testify about the subject matter.

The expert witness may not present statements based on speculation, however. The testimony must be based on facts and data for it to be admissible to the court. Similarly, the expert’s statements must be based upon reliable scientific methods and principles. The expert must also demonstrate that he or she has applied these principles and methods to the facts being disputed in the case.

With these guidelines, steel fabrication experts will provide quality testimony to the court during trial.