At the time of a car accident, the main focus is your wellbeing and that of others who may have been involved. In instances where an injury occurs, your main focus is getting the proper medical attention.
What happens afterwards includes getting restitution for your injuries and financial losses. We see commercials all the time from lawyers promising the best settlements. What we do not hear a lot about is the discovery process that goes along with filing a lawsuit.
Have you suffered a loss as a result of a car accident? Keep reading to learn more about the forms of discovery.
What is the Discovery Process?
Seeking a settlement for a vehicle accident requires hiring a personal injury attorney to represent you. In order to get a settlement, you’ll have to go through the discovery process.
Discovery is the steps taken to gather all of the pertinent information about the accident. It is vital that your attorney has access to information regarding the scene of the accident, witnesses, and other key data to prove your damages.
Let’s look at a few.
Submit Interrogatories
Interrogatories are a set of questions submitting to the other party’s legal team for the purposes of gathering facts about the case. The questions are general in nature and include:
- Contact information
- Insurance info
- Witnesses
- Injuries sustained and treatment
- Medical history
Your attorney can expect the same documents request.
Request Supporting Documents
Supporting documents differ from interrogatories in that they delve a little deeper. This part of the discovery process is called Production. It includes information on the accident.
Attorneys will look for any photographs or video footage that was taken of the accident or following. Receipts for automobile repairs will be requested, as wells as receipts for medical services.
Admission Statements
Cases can be lost if a party fails to respond to a request for admissions statements. These are written accounts of the party’s version of what took place to cause the car accident. It is important to respond within the specified timeframe as failure to do so could lead to a judgment against the non-compliant party.
Remember, providing a written account of what happened is not an admission of guilt. It is the party’s interpretation of what happened.
Deposing Parties to the Lawsuit
Another step in the discovery process in a lawsuit, and probably the most dreaded is depositions. This step is where counsel gets statements from the parties, witnesses, and even experts on the accident.
Although depositions take place outside of the courtroom, the information is given before a court reporter. The information provided then becomes a part of the case. More often, if a witness changes his or her testimony during the trial.
You’re Now Ready for Trial
The discovery process is a vital part of a case. When you have a great lawyer, you could end up with an out-of-court settlement.
Have you been in a traffic accident? Click here and our attorneys will love to speak with you about your case.