What Happens After a Deposition in a Personal Injury Case?
Posted on April 25, 2017 Written By: iadminlaw
If you are involved in a personal injury lawsuit, you will probably have to submit to something called a deposition. This is essentially a tool that’s used, during the pre-trial discovery phase, for the attorneys to collect evidence and gather information. The process can be a little intimidating, especially if you’ve never gone through it before; in this post, we’ll outline roughly what you can expect.
What Happens After a Deposition in a Lawsuit?
If you have been involved in an auto accident, and that car accident leads to a court case, you may be asked to appear for a deposition, which means you will show up to court, swear an oath of honesty, and simply offer your testimony of what actually happened. Usually, there will be a court reporter there to take down everything you are saying. The actual questions will come from attorneys involved with the case.
You can expect the deposition to happen after the lawsuit is filed, but before the trial itself. You may even receive a subpoena, which will legally compel you to show up in court for the deposition. It’s not an optional thing, in other words! Note that your attorney may also wish to depose eyewitnesses to the case, especially those whose testimony will be helpful to you.
The deposition will play a significant role in the case itself; in fact, there are several different functions that a deposition can serve—including:
- Obtaining important facts about the car accident and about the case;
- Determining the strength and/or weakness of your testimony;
- Getting a clear understanding of how people will testify in the courtroom;
- Determining the extent of any injuries sustained.
How Long Does it Take to Settle a Personal Injury Case?
When you’re dealing with car accident injuries and just want the settlement to be reached, it’s tempting to wonder how long all of this will take. For more car accident injury cases, the trial itself lasts from three to 10 days—but the deposition and other pre-trial processes can last a lot longer, sometimes many months. This is definitely something that will require patience, and the hardest part can be waiting, staying ready for the trial to begin in earnest.
Car Lawyers Near Me
That’s ultimately something that an attorney can help you with. If you’ve been injured in a car accident, we encourage you to seek the aid of a personal injury attorney, who can not only guide you through the deposition process but also keep you in the loop throughout this often-challenging journey.
For those who have sustained car wreck injuries in California, Nevada, or Colorado, we encourage you to consider I Accident Lawyer; we are here to fight for your rights and for your wellbeing, and to make the process as smooth as possible for you. Reach out to us any time for a personal injury consultation.
