Your Expert Witness Needs for Sexual Harassment Cases

We haven’t covered sexual harassment cases at great length here at the Orion Expert Network (OEN) blog. But in the post-#MeToo era, when there is a heightened awareness of the boundaries and respect employees are entitled to and owe each other, it would be good to look at what the expert witness needs in an office sexual harassment case might be.

In any case where your client was seeking damages, harm needs to be proven. In a sexual harassment case, harm could be caused in several ways, among them psychological, career, and financial. A psychologist might speak to the distress caused to an employee by sexual harassment from her boss. An HR expert might attest to the limiting prospects sexual harassment inflicts on an employee’s career, as a way of showing the actual costs suffered by a claimant. And a financial planner might be able to show how these career costs would harden into financial costs over time.

There may be a dispute over whether sexual harassment occured in the first place. A psychologist could play a key role here too. As could an HR professional, to document and analyze the approaches taken after a sexual harassment claim was made.

In most instances a case such as this would not go to trial. Depending on the merits, the company would likely settle. All of the experts mentioned above would play a heightened role in settlement negotiations, as the determinations made would likely influence the ultimate settlement value.

We here at OEN work with experts every day who have the talent and the qualifications to put together a successful sexual harassment claim for you and your client. Focus on the facts of your case and getting ready for settlement and let us find the experts to round out your team.

If you or your firm have expert witness needs on any type of case, call OEN today at 617–528–0055 or email us at info@orionexpertnetwork.com for help putting together your expert witness team. You do the rest. Let us worry about the experts.