During the discovery phase both sides have to exchange all their evidence documents together with complete witness statements. Through disclosure requirements the legal proceedings become more transparent because it prevents surprising evidence from appearing at trial. Various legal procedures exist for lawyers to use in their information collection and authentication process including:
- Parties must complete written questions as Interrogatories while they need to swear their responses under an oath.
- Submiting official requests enables the procurement of essential document-based evidence which includes medical records and accident reports.
- Parties implement Requests for Admissions by requesting the opposing party to admit specific statements in order to establish which points require determination.
- The exchanged information enables attorneys to construct legal arguments which reveal the strong points as well as the weaknesses in both arguments.
- Depositions
Lawyers conduct official statement procedures with both witnesses and accident victims as well as medical professionals and expert witnesses aiming to record sworn testimonies. The recorded sessions during these sessions create evidence material that becomes usable as trial evidence for the court system. Depositions serve several important purposes:
- Lawyers use depositions as a way to confirm exactly what witnesses think and what experiences they had while observing events.
- Lawyers evaluate witness capabilities as they confirm whether what the witnesses say corresponds to recent evidence findings.
- When deposition materials serve as court evidence they enable the detection of witness inconsistencies when trial proceedings begin.
The development of cases depends mainly on depositions because attorneys can preview the upcoming arguments of their opposing counterparts.
Medical Examinations
An Independent Medical Examination (IME) becomes necessary for insurance companies to determine injury gravity assessment and it is arranged through their independent provider network. The insurance provider selects medical doctors as part of Independent Medical Examinations to verify how severely plaintiffs believe their injuries affect them.
Insurance organizations manipulate IME examinations for their benefit to dispute medical evidence and refuses to pay sufficient compensation to injured victims. Professional personal injury lawyers assist their clients through these examinations by:
Lawyers train the victims about medical examinations while also educating them on possible interview questions.
The personal injury lawyer performs a careful review of the IME report to guarantee factual data.
The personal injury attorney fights against unjust evidence reports that understate medical injury conditions.
Through appropriate management of the discovery phase an attorney can acquire essential evidence to support strong settlements or solid trial evidence.