What Do Lawyers Try To Accomplish
with Their Questions?
Test your knowledge of the facts - Hope you make a mistake
Test your expertise in your field - Show you are poorly qualified
Obtain Information - Get Educated
Propose a hypothetical -- Assuming what you now know, what would you have done differently in treating your patient?
Obtain an admission or concession or try to get you to agree with a statement
Would you defer to a Board-Certified Nephrologist?
Collect Impeachment Information
(Bias, money, advertising, prior cases/testimony)
Discredit you!
(Innuendos: What would a competent expert in your field say ?)
Attack you!
(Aren't you just a hired gun?)
Imply something undesirable about you.
(Did you ever lose your driver's license for driving while drinking ?)
"Set-Up" Question followed by a "Forcing Question"
(Shame or embarrass you with sarcasm or an innuendo, followed by an attempt to intimidate you into changing your opinion)
e.g., 1) How would a competent expert in your field answer that question ? 2) You haven't examined a building like that in 10 years and you expect me to accept your opinion ?