CRISIS MANAGEMENT EXPERT WITNESS TESTIMONY, CONSULTING & TESTIFYING SERVICES

A crisis management expert witness is a testifying consulting pro with awareness of and experience in handling organizational crises who provides analysis, insight, and testimony in legal proceedings. Legal advisors get retained by attorneys for lawsuits or investigations that a top crisis management expert witness covers where a company’s or institution’s response to a concern is under scrutiny. The issue in question can range from public relations disasters and product recalls to cybersecurity breaches, workplace violence, or natural disasters.

The job of a leading crisis management expert witness is to evaluate whether an organization acted appropriately before, during, and after a concern. This includes assessing emergency preparedness, risk assessments, communication strategies, decision-making processes, and compliance with industry standards or regulations. Analysis can help the court determine whether a company’s actions were reasonable or if negligence contributed to damages or losses.

For example, if a company is sued following a data breach, a crisis management expert witness might assess whether the company had an adequate incident response plan in place, how quickly and transparently it responded, and whether its communication with customers and regulators met professional standards. In a workplace violence case, the expert could evaluate the employer’s crisis prevention measures, employee training, and post-incident response.

Crisis management expert witnesses are used by both plaintiffs and defense teams. Plaintiffs may use an SME to show that a company’s mishandling of a crisis caused harm, while defense attorneys may rely on an expert to demonstrate that the company’s response was reasonable under the circumstances.

Such crisis management expert witness picks typically have backgrounds in fields such as public relations, marketing, emergency management, risk management, corporate governance, or law enforcement. Testimony can be critical in helping judges and juries understand whether an organization followed best practices during a high-pressure, high-stakes event.

Your typical crisis management expert witness provides professional analysis on how organizations prepare for and respond to crises. Research is vital in determining whether actions taken during a crisis met industry standards, contributed to harm, or mitigated damage—and ultimately aids in the resolution of related legal claims.