Lexington, MA Personal Injury Lawyer
When people do an athletic or dangerous activity and think they might get injured, they probably picture a light scrap or bruise or maybe something that needs a band-aid at worst. Rarely do people expect to get very seriously injured, even when they do have a plan for it. Many things can happen when you get injured because someone else messed up. You could end up with exorbitant medical bills and need to go through intense physical therapy and other long-term medical procedures. All of this can take away from you living your life and doing the things you love.
If you were hurt because someone else was negligent, do not despair. Our lawyers can help. We have represented countless plaintiffs in personal injury lawsuits, and we can use that experience to assist you with your claim. Let us handle the legal side of things while you focus on recovering from your injuries and getting back to living your life.
To have our team of personal injury attorneys review your case for free, call The Law Office of John J. Sheehan at (617) 925-6407.
The Entire Process of a Lexington, MA Personal Injury Lawsuit
Personal injury cases can be lengthy and complicated experiences. No case will ever just go right to trial. It is not unusual for there to be years of preparatory work that goes into a lawsuit before it ever makes it in front of a jury. Because that process is so lengthy, it can be useful to know exactly what happens in a personal injury lawsuit from the very beginning all the way through the trial.
Discovery
An extremely important part of the legal process that happens well before trial is something called discovery. In discovery, attorneys exchange information before trial so that both sides are on a similar playing field and operating on a similar set of facts. It may seem strange for attorneys to exchange information in this way, but it is a crucial part of the process for ensuring fairness.
Lawyers can ask for many different things in discovery, from the whereabouts of expert witnesses to handwritten documents. However, not all information is given up in discovery, though. Some information is protected by certain privileges and can be refused. For example, discussions you have with our lawyers about case strategy are off-limits because they are protected by attorney-client privilege.
Depositions
Depositions are another very important part of the pre-trial process. A deposition is an under-oath, formal interview where our lawyers and opposing counsel will be present along with a professional recorder. During a deposition, you will be asked numerous questions pertaining to the case by both opposing counsel and our lawyers. You should answer every question truthfully, as intentionally lying in a deposition is a serious error that can ruin an entire case. Do not worry about answering unfair questions, though. If our lawyers feel that a question is out of line, we can object, and you will not have to answer it.
Not only you, but many other people who will speak at trial will be deposed, so this process can take quite a while.
Pre-Trial Motions
Before trial, lawyers can file what are known as pre-trial motions with the judge. A motion is when a lawyer asks a judge to do a certain thing because the lawyer thinks it will help their case or because justice demands that said thing be done. For example, a very common motion is a motion to suppress evidence that should not be allowed in the case. If you wanted us to file a motion to suppress evidence, our lawyers would draft it and explain why we are filing the motion. If the judge grants the motion, the evidence is suppressed.
Not all motions are for serious things that make or break a case. Some motions can be for mundane things like rescheduling a trial date.
Possible Settlements
Opposing counsel may also want to reach an agreement outside of trial. When both sides of a lawsuit agree to an outcome without going through a trial, it is called a settlement. Settlements have a couple of advantages over going to trial, including certainty of outcome, reduced cost of litigation, and keeping things private.
Many people associate settling with “chickening out” or losing, but that is not true. Even parties with very strong cases offer to settle on many occasions. When looking at a settlement offer, you need to examine what you are getting out of it. If you will get everything you need out of a settlement, then accepting it may be a good move. Remember that you always have the right to a trial, and our personal injury lawyers will have your back no matter what you decide.
Trial
Finally, at long last, the case will go to trial if the parties have not settled or otherwise dropped the case. By the time a case goes to trial, most of what is going to happen has been rehearsed, and both sides will at least know the gist of what their opponent is trying to do. At trial, the jury hears the arguments and sees the evidence from both the plaintiff and defendant, and the judge advises the jury on the relevant law.
Once all the evidence is shown and both sides have made their arguments, the jury deliberates and returns with a verdict. If the defendant is liable, you are awarded damages in an amount decided by the jury.
Let Our Lexington, MA Personal Injury Attorneys Examine Your Case Today
Our personal injury lawyers from The Law Office of John J. Sheehan can be reached at (617) 925-6407 for free case analyses.
