Ask them for advice on items for review or what they think would be helpful to your theory of the case. Often the experts are aware of critical information possessed by the opposition, and at times the expert can better assess discovery responses. Including experts in discovery will improve the quality of information discovered. It is not necessarily true that plaintiffs must designate their experts first or that expert depositions are a matter of right. If the court is imposing a scheduling order, it can also be argued that expert witnesses should be disclosed simultaneously.
Defendants have a right to discover plaintiffs' theories through written interrogatories.
From that point forward, defendants are in as good a position as plaintiffs to investigate an underlying accident or facts to determine what, if any, experts are needed to help the jury understand the issues. Although it is not common, simultaneous disclosure of experts is used by many courts. With respect to depositions, the court has broad discretion and can allow or prohibit expert depositions. When a case is not complex, courts can be convinced to limit expert discovery to interrogatories. If this is allowed, the court can require that the depositions be taken on reasonable terms and conditions.