You have been treating a patient who was involved an accident. You may have wondered if this would result in litigation and your being asked to testify. Sure enough, you are asked (or subpoenaed) to testify in your patient’s personal injury case. Some of you will have had experience testifying in the legal arena and will be comfortable with the process. For others, while you are confident of your skills as a medical practitioner, the prospect of being interrogated by lawyers in front of a judge and jury will drive you out of your comfort zone.

This article will try to take some of the mystique out of testifying by explaining: 1) what to anticipate from the attorneys, especially the “opposing” attorney; 2) how to prepare; and 3) why it is important to appear in person at trial.