The deposition process is an important part of a personal injury lawsuit. If your case is headed to trial, you will typically be called to appear before the lawyers representing the other party in the case to answer questions about you and the accident that lead to your injuries. The lawyers are looking for information that may have been missed when the police questioned you (if the police were called).
They also want to see how you react to the questioning and how you will probably be perceived by a jury or judge – in other words, are you likable and trustworthy or not. Here is what you should expect during the deposition process:
Request to Appear
Your lawyer will send you a letter telling you the date, time, and place you and your lawyer are to appear for the deposition. The other party in the lawsuit, their lawyers, and any witnesses to the accident, will also be requested to appear at the same time as you and it is important that everyone be there at the same time.
If the time, date, or location is not suitable to you, it is your responsibility to notify your lawyer that you cannot make it as soon as possible.
Questioning
You should expect to be asked many questions about the events leading up to the accident and the accident itself. Your answers will be compared to previous statements to see if you are stating the same things you did when you where questioned by the police and medical personnel.
The lawyers are looking for any discrepancies in your statements that could undermine your credibility, so you shouldn't try to mislead the lawyers in any way or try to embellish your story. You should also expect to answer questions that don't have anything to do with the accident.
A lawyer may ask a lot of personal questions about your family, what type of work you do, if you are still with the same employer you were when the accident happened, and if not, they'll want to know the reason you quit or were fired. Even if you don't believe these types of questions are appropriate, you will be under oath and you'll have to answer them – whatever you do, don't show any irritation to what you might perceive as inappropriate questions.
A good lawyer, if they know how to get under your skin, may try to incite you to anger while asking similar questions in a court of law to make you look bad in front of the jury and judge.
You should take some time study the deposition process and the questions that could be asked before you get deposed by the other party's lawyers in the lawsuit. This will help to reduce your anxiety and better prepare for you for their answering questions. You should also consult with your lawyer so they can fully explain the process to you and answer any questions you might have.
To learn more, contact a company like Madigan & Scott Inc. with any questions or concerns you have.
Share16 April 2015
When I was a child, my father was the pastor of a small evangelical church in my hometown. I always enjoyed going to church in order to play with my friends. One of these friends suffered a horrific accident at a local gas station one day. As he was walking towards the entrance to the gas station, he was struck by a vehicle. His leg was seriously injured during the accident. To help with the expenses of recovery, his father hired an accident and personal injury attorney. This professional helped my friend’s father sue the person who struck his son. On this blog, you will discover the advantages of hiring an accident and personal injury attorney after incurring injuries from a devastating accident.