The answer is no, but also yes. Most attorneys who will take an injury case work on a contingency basis—they take a percentage of the amount your settlement or award, plus expenses. An expert witness counts as an expense. While there are ways to minimize the fees that must be paid to an expert witness, in burn injury cases, liability experts often are necessary. These experts could include accident reconstruction witnesses, mechanical engineers, fire investigators, or other experts who can help establish liability for a burn injury.
Further, depending upon the severity of your injuries, you might need medical experts to help establish the amount of care you will need in the future, including therapy and rehabilitation, and the cost of that future care. The cost of these experts will be deducted from your recovery as expenses, but usually, they also will be included in the amount of your damages claim. Ultimately, it should be a wash, and expert witness fees should not reduce the amount of the compensation you receive.
