Roswell, GA Personal Injury Lawyer

Getting injured is never part of anyone’s plan. The fact of the matter is that serious injuries are not always prepared for, so they often catch victims by surprise. Victims of various accidents can end up with unexpected large medical expenses that can put them under serious financial stress. Those feelings may be amplified if the victim suspects that they were injured because someone else simply did not do their job.

Fortunately, you do not have to deal with the aftermath of serious injuries alone. We have represented countless plaintiffs injured in many different ways, so we have the experience, professionalism, and determination to fight hard for you in court and get you the financial compensation you need after an accident.

To get a free case review from our personal injury attorneys, call Rice, Murtha & Psoras at (470) 287-3070.

What Happens in Personal Injury Lawsuits in Roswell, GA

Most people are familiar with both civil and criminal trials. However, the vast majority of the legal process does not happen in front of a jury in the courtroom. Our personal injury lawyers put a tremendous amount of legal work into a case before it ever goes to trial. In fact, the vast majority of cases do not make it to trial and are settled or otherwise resolved beforehand. Below will be your guide to the steps of a personal injury lawsuit so that you know what to expect.

Retaining Legal Counsel

The first step in any personal injury case is to retain legal counsel. However, you need to make sure you do so quickly. Per O.G.C.A. § 9-3-33, you only have two years from when you get injured to file your personal injury lawsuit. Once that time period runs out, you cannot file your claim, and courts will not be able to award you any damages. This type of law is called a statute of limitations, and it exists to ensure that cases are brought in a timely manner.

While two years may seem like a long time, when one considers the time it takes to recover from injuries, gather evidence, and do other preparations before filing a case in court, it is no time at all. Therefore, it is always a good idea to get an attorney as soon as you can so that the statutory period for your claim does not run out.

Discovery

A very important process that happens when building a case is something called “discovery.” Discovery is the process by which attorneys on opposite sides of a case share information. While it may seem odd that lawyers working against each other are sharing information, it is a very important part of the legal process, as it ensures that both sides are operating off of a similar set of facts and are unlikely to surprise each other at trial.

Although attorneys are meant to share information, that does not mean you need to hand over everything. Some things are protected by various privileges. For example, discussions between you and our lawyers about legal strategy would fall under attorney-client privilege, and you cannot be forced to turn that information over in discovery.

Depositions

Another important pre-trial process is depositions. Depositions are interviews given under oath where a witness, you, the defendant, or other important party to the case is asked questions by lawyers for both sides.

Present during your deposition will be you, the opposing counsel, our lawyers, and a professional recorder to transcribe what is said. When opposing counsel starts asking questions, they will start simple but quickly move to focus on the issues at hand in your case. It is important that, even if you think that answering truthfully will hurt your case, you do it anyway. It is much harder to deal with a lie under oath than a “bad fact” in any lawsuit. However, if our lawyers feel that a question is unfair, we can object to it, and you will not have to answer it.

Depositions give lawyers from both sides the opportunity to ask questions of the person getting deposed, so it is not unusual for them to take all day.

Pre-Trial Motions

Pre-trail motions are things lawyers request of the court before a trial takes place. Sometimes, these motions can be for mundane things like scheduling the trial or a hearing for a certain date. Other times, they can be for critical decisions, like whether to allow into court a certain piece of evidence.

Settlement Offers

Sometimes, parties are able to work out a legal dispute without going to trial. This is called “settling” a case. Many individuals may equate settling a case with giving up or admitting that your case is weak, but that simply is not true. In fact, many parties with strong cases will offer to settle due to reasons other than the likelihood of winning at trial.

Whether you should accept a settlement offer or not will depend on your situation, so you should discuss it with our attorneys.

Trial

The final step in the process – if it gets there – is a trial. At trial, both sides of the case will present the facts and evidence as they understand them and give their legal argument to the judge and jury. Once the jury has seen all the evidence, heard all the facts, and listened to all the testimony, the judge will instruct them on the law, and the jury will render a verdict as to whether the defendant is liable or not. If the jury finds the defendant liable for your injuries, they will also determine how much you are awarded in damages.

Speak to Our Roswell, GA Personal Injury Attorneys Today

Call (470) 287-3070 and speak to the personal injury lawyers about your claim from Rice, Murtha & Psoras today.