Getting injured is never part of anybody’s plan. Worse still, serious injuries can derail someone’s life for a long time because of medical procedures and important recovery processes that need to be done. Moreover, such treatment can be incredibly expensive, even with a good insurance policy. The sting of a serious injury can be made that much worse when you know that it was caused by someone else’s negligence.
Fortunately, our attorneys are here to help when you are injured. We can examine your case, take the right parties to court, and make sure you have the best chance possible to get financial compensation from those who wronged you.
Howe Law’s personal injury lawyers can give free case reviews when you call us at (844) 876-4357.
The Process of a La Vergne, TN Personal Injury Lawsuit
Personal injury lawsuits have a lot of different steps. You do not go to trial right away. In fact, there are many tasks and important procedures that our personal injury lawyers need to do in order to give you a solid shot at a successful trial. There is a great deal of pre-trail prep work that goes into any lawsuit. We will go into some of those steps below to familiarize you with the most important parts of the process.
Discovery
Before a lawsuit goes to trial, a lot of information needs to be gathered in order to build your case. This process is called “discovery.” Discovery can take a very long time. In fact, it is not out of the ordinary for discovery to take a year or more in many personal injury lawsuits.
During discovery, lawyers for both sides will get as much information as they can about the case from any source they can find. This means that a lot of time will be spent gathering medical records, finding witnesses, and examining other evidence surrounding your accident. Additionally, lawyers for both sides will exchange information with each other. This may come as a surprise to some, as it may feel like our lawyers are supplying the other side with “ammunition” to use against you in your case. In reality, exchanging information is standard procedure and expected. It is very important to all lawsuits because it helps ensure that both sides are working off of the same set of facts. Additionally, it helps to cut down on any surprises at trial, which, unlike what dramatic television and movies would have you believe, is highly undesirable to both plaintiffs and defendants.
However, just because lawyers share information does not mean you will hand over everything to opposing counsel. Some information is considered privileged, meaning that if the defendant’s lawyer asks for it, you will not have to hand it over. For example, discussions between you and our lawyers are privileged because that is correspondence between an attorney and their client.
Depositions
Lined to discovery is something called depositions. Depositions are formal, under-oath interviews that lawyers have with important parties to a legal matter. As an example, you are almost guaranteed to be deposed by opposing counsel in your personal injury matter. Here is how it will play out:
You, opposing counsel, our lawyers, and a professional recorder will be present. Usually, depositions take place in a conference room or office setting, but they can happen anywhere. Deposition proceedings will start out with opposing counsel explaining how the process works and then asking some basic questions to get you familiar with the process. However, the topic will quickly turn to important matters about the case.
A lot of prep work goes into what questions a lawyer will ask in a deposition. The questions are very pointed and specific, and they are trying to get information out of you. However, it is always in your best interest to answer honestly, as lying under oath is both illegal and extremely damaging to your case. If opposing counsel asks a question that is unfair, our lawyers can object, and you do not have to answer it.
Then, our lawyers will ask you questions, following up on whatever opposing counsel asked. The two sides can go back and forth with more questions until they feel they are satisfied, and then the deposition is over.
The process can be tedious, but it is important to the legal process. It is not unusual for depositions to take hours.
Potential Settlements
At any point before a case goes to trial, a party can offer to settle the case. A settlement is when parties agree to drop the legal matter before a formal verdict at trial. While some may see accepting a settlement as giving up, that is far from true. Many plaintiffs get everything they need from a good settlement offer. The important thing to consider is whether a settlement is the legal outcome you desire or if a trial would be preferable. Our lawyers can advise you as to your options if you are considering a settlement. However, the ultimate decision is up to you, and you can always choose to go to trial.
Trial
The last step, if necessary, in a personal injury lawsuit is a jury trial. At trial, most of what is going to happen is already known to the attorneys because of all the preparation that has happened up to this point. What remains is for the jury to assess the arguments of our lawyers and the defense attorney and come to a conclusion about who is liable for your injuries. If successful, the jury also decides what you are awarded as damages.
Talk with Our La Vergne, TN Personal Injury Attorneys
Our personal injury lawyers from Howe Law offer free case reviews when you call the number (844) 876-4357.
