Although most personal injury cases end up resulting in settlement, there’s a chance that your case goes to trial. In preparation for that prospect, you might find yourself wondering what the legal process looks like at that point. We hope this brief post will be insightful in that regard.
The stages of personal injury litigation
There’s a lot that goes into preparing for trial. But here are the formal steps that you’ll face if your case goes to trial:
- Jury selection: Here, you and the defense will question potential jurors to ensure that a fair and unbiased jury is chosen to hear your case.
- Opening statements: These remarks given to jurors prior to taking testimony allow each side to lay out their story and spell out what jurors can expect from the trial.
- Witness testimony: Each side will have their opportunity to present witness testimony to support their legal arguments. You’ll want to ensure that your witnesses are adequately prepared to testify.
- Cross-examination: You and the defense will also have the opportunity to cross-examine the other’s witnesses in hopes of minimizing the impact of their testimony.
- Jury instructions: The judge will issue instructions to the jury, which will guide them in their deliberations. You and the defense can provide recommended jury instructions.
- Jury deliberations: After all evidence is presented, the jury will take its time to assess liability and damages.
- Delivery of the verdict: Once the jury has come to a decision, the verdict will be announced. This is where you’ll learn if you’ve won your case and, potentially, how much compensation you’ll be awarded.
Confidently navigate your personal injury case
Working your way through a personal injury case can be stressful and confusing. But we find that accident victims are more comfortable and confident going into their case if they know that they’re fully prepared and know what to expect. With that in mind, now is the time to start working on your car accident personal injury case.