What to Know When Preparing for Your Personal Injury Trial

Litigation Law Firm

The majority of personal injury cases get settled out of court. However, if the defendant’s insurance company isn’t willing to offer a fair settlement, it may be in your best interest to go to trial. After all, you deserve to be fairly compensated for your medical expenses, lost wages and other losses that resulted from the accident. If you and your lawyer do decide to take your case to trial, here are a few important things you should know.

You May Have to Testify

The idea of testifying in court might sound frightening, but it may be necessary. If you have to sit up on the stand, both your personal injury lawyer and the defendant’s lawyer will ask you questions. Your lawyer will prepare you for the type of questions you will be asked. It is important to answer each question honestly. If you don’t know the answer to a question, don’t try to speculate. Just simply say that you don’t know.

Evidence Matters

You can’t have a successful personal injury lawsuit without sufficient evidence. During your trial, your evidence will be presented to the court and questioned. That is why it is critical to keep track of your medical records, witness statements, repair bills, photos and other pieces of evidence. 

Litigation May Take a Long Time

While it would be nice if you could finalize your personal injury case quickly, it’s usually not realistic. It normally takes a good amount of time to get through the litigation process. In fact, from the time you file your lawsuit to hearing the jury’s verdict, you may wait up to a year or more. Although you may be anxious to get your case over with, it’s important to be patient and trust the process.

You May Have to Answer Personal Questions

When you are taking a personal injury case to trial, the defendant’s lawyer may ask you questions that may seem unrelated to your case. For example, the lawyer may ask questions about your criminal history and medical history. These questions might seem very personal, but be sure to answer them truthfully. Your lawyer may prepare you for these questions so that you are not too surprised.

If you want to file a personal injury lawsuit, you may want to get in touch with a litigation law firm, like Brown Kiely, LLP.