What is a Deposition?
If you decide to file a personal injury lawsuit because of an injury from an elevator or escalator accident, a deposition might be part of your personal injury process. In some cases, your lawyer might want to speak to the other party in a deposition. In other cases, you might be asked to attend a deposition. Some cases will require both of these. Most likely, you will encounter the deposition one way or another in a personal injury case. You can learn more about what a deposition is and how it might apply to your case here.
What is a Deposition?
A deposition is basically an interview conducted by one party in a deposition to learn what other people involved in the party know. Depositions generally take place at a lawyer’s office. The people present are:
- The person deposed and his or her lawyer.
- The other party’s lawyer.
- A reporter from the court.
The court reporter takes down transcripts of the conversation so that there is a verbatim record of the conversation. Even though depositions do not take place in court, the court reporter’s presence means that all parties are under oath during a deposition. This means that you cannot lie or exaggerate facts during a deposition.
Being Deposed
It is possible for you to be deposed during the discovery phase of a personal injury case. If this is the case, don’t panic. You will just have to go to the other party’s lawyer’s office and answer questions. It is a good idea to hire your own lawyer to attend the deposition with you. Having a lawyer there will make sure that you are only asked relevant questions and that your rights are protected. You can also prepare for the deposition with the help of your lawyer and they can answer any questions that you have. If you feel nervous about the deposition, having a lawyer on your side can help you feel more confident.
Deposing Others
In order to build evidence for your case, your lawyer might decide that it is a good idea to depose the other party in your case. If this happens, you do not have to attend the deposition, and in fact you should not. Your lawyer will go to the deposition on your behalf and will ask questions to help build your case. If other people are deposed in your case, you do not have to do anything – just let your attorney handle it.
Getting Help
Dealing with depositions and other aspects of the discovery process can be stressful. Even though it is just a simple conversation, many people are nervous if they have to attend depositions. This is a normal reaction, but try to remain calm. If you have a good lawyer on your side, the deposition will go smoothly. If you would like to contact me for legal representation, I am happy to help. I can sit down with you and review your case. We can discuss an upcoming deposition, and if your team wants to depose anyone to build your case.