Legal Definitions - lay witness

A lay witness is someone who testifies in court but is not an expert witness. They do not need to have any special qualifications to testify. However, they can only testify about things they personally know about.

For example, if someone witnessed a car accident, they could testify about what they saw and heard. But if they were asked to explain the physics of the accident, they would not be able to do so because they are not an expert in that field.

Lay witnesses are important because they can provide firsthand accounts of events that can help a jury make a decision.