Should Expert Witnesses Follow Progress of Cases?
This question has come up a few times when discussing the merits of following a case’s development as it progresses, even though the expert witnesses are not involved in the matter directly. An expert may submit their expert opinion report and not hear back from retaining Counsel for months. This is not a complaint – just the way some cases progress.
This leads to the second question.
Where Can Expert Witnesses Locate This Info?
Many providers of case info exist online. One that I have used over the last 20 years is Pacer. Expert witnesses can find the case information at this link.
One caveat centers on the cost if one downloads everything, as that can be expensive. Yes, the cost has remained 10 cents per page for quite some time. If one decides to download the whole case file, you could be looking at $$$.
Another caveat is that these cases are Federal Court Cases. You may not find every case here. The user manual for Pacer can be downloaded from this page.
I recommend that any expert witness review the manual on at least how to choose info to download.
Using the website a few times will likely be necessary to feel comfortable with using Pacer’s services.
State Level Court Research
State level Court information may also be a good place to research the progress of a case. For example, I used the New Jersey State Court Case Lookup to see how a premium audit case that I was involved in as an expert. The info was free, as with some state courts. Of course, you have to establish an account with them.
One has to remember that each state handles access to court records differently. Using a Google search with the state’s name and court case search login usually works. For example, a Google search of
New York court case search online
will lead you to the correct place.
Bottom Line on Expert Witness Case Search
Thanks to the internet, one can find almost any case history. One thing to remember, and it goes without saying, is that an expert witness should not charge a fee to do case research, whether through PACER or another source.
I have used the word cases in this article, but expert witnesses have files, attorneys have cases. Click here for all expert witness articles that I have written in this website.
