An Expert in Civil Litigation, Attorney Roger Dodd Shared Some of his Trial Insights with Other Personal Injury Lawyers
For Attorney Roger Dodd, who has taught in all 50 states, providing personal injury plaintiff’s lawyers with tools to bolster their trial performance is well worth the time. Roger was Board Certified in both Civil Litigation and Criminal Litigation for over 20 years. These accolades represent the additional education he undertook during his career, an achievement few attorneys in the nation share. However, Roger put in the effort because of his dedication to providing the best service for his clients. He also shares his expertise within the legal community for the good of all injury victims across the nation.
Through seminars, conferences, and classes are not possible right now, Roger is still doing what he can. At the end of May, he was asked by Attorney Brian Panish to co-host a webinar on courtroom cross-examination. With 3 other attorneys, Roger provided live analysis of a taped cross-examination from a real personal injury trial.
Cross-examination is the stage of the trial in which attorneys have the chance to question witnesses. A good attorney can point out flaws or inherent bias in the testimony provided by the defense. Because many expert witnesses called by the defense make a living by speaking at trials, they are adept at dodging questions and providing non-answers, as well as concealing their financial incentive to perform.
In this cross-examination seminar, Roger and the other presenters highlighted techniques used by Mr. Panish to get honest answers from these experts. When a witness is bending the facts to benefit the defense, there is a way to make them admit they might be biased—and after that, they tend to tell the full truth, no embellishments or elisions. With the truth on their side, a plaintiff is much more likely to prevail.
Roger is grateful for the invitation to share what he has learned in 40+ years of litigating cases. Though personal injury attorneys across the country are giving their all for clients, fighting against big corporations will always be an uphill battle. It is up to firms like ours to rise to this challenge, not just for our clients, but for all the others our work can impact. Just like those who helped us at the beginning of our careers, we want to pass on our knowledge to younger attorneys who are ready to make a difference. In fact, Roger has already scheduled his next speaking engagement: He will be co-hosting another webinar, this one on re-cross, at the end of this week, analyzing a recording from one of Brian Panish’s trials.
Do you have legal questions? Dodd & Kuendig can provide answers! Call us at (435) 296-7434 to talk to an attorney today.