How Your Injury Lawyer Prepares Your Case for Trial

From negotiation to discovery, preparing a personal injury suit for trial is a long and complicated process. Your attorney will be concerned with gathering evidence, garnering solid witnesses and ensuring all proper notices and legal steps are taken among many other tasks. Here is a rundown of the steps your Manchester personal injury lawyers at the Law Office of Manning Zimmerman & Oliveira PLLC will complete to prepare your case for trial.

Before the Suit

At the initial stage of the case, your Manchester personal injury lawyers will do the following:
• Make sure the case does not fall out of the statute of limitations;
• Identify the legal names and addresses of adverse parties;
• Provide government, medical and other required notices prior to the suit; and
• Identify the proper jurisdiction for filing the case.

First Steps

As your case proceeds forward, your Manchester personal injury lawyers will:
• Conduct an interview with you;
• Set the terms of engagement in an initial letter to you;
• Inform you what evidence needs to be preserved;
• Retrieve statements;
• Retrieve reports from police or state agencies;
• Obtain other relevant evidence and documents;
• Investigate the scene and any involved items;
• Obtain reports of prior proceedings or hearings related to the incident;
• Obtain insurance information for both parties; and
• Arrange the summons and complaint and serve them to the defendants.

Tasks Dealing with Clients, Experts and Witnesses

• Instruct you (the plaintiff) on what to accomplish or what items to gather and direct you to seek medical care;
• Discuss additional damages such as loss of consortium;
• Find experts where an opinion is needed; and
• Interview witnesses and prepare a witness summary for each of them.

The Settlement Stage

• Determine a target date for the initial demand or offer; and
• Determine whether mediation is necessary and make arrangements to set it up.

Final Steps

• Choose lay witnesses;
• Provide expert witness reports to the other side;
• Look into the rules regarding exhibits and jury evidence, file them with the court and prepare exhibits accordingly;
• For those witnesses who will not testify in person, prepare video depositions for trial;
• Prior to formal discovery, exchange information with the other party;
• Draft and serve request documents and inspections, requests for admissions and interrogatories on all adverse parties;
• Inspect the scene of the incident, related items and documents;
• Obtain reports from the other side’s experts;
• Provide the names and opinions of experts on your side;
• Respond to written discovery, including requests for admission, requests for production and interrogatories; and
• Review the other side’s responses to discovery requests.

Contact Manchester Personal Injury Lawyers

That’s why it’s vital that you work with Manchester personal injury lawyers who can give you the best chances of success. Call the Law Office of Manning Zimmerman & Oliveira PLLC at 603-624-7200 or toll-free at (800) 984-3151 to get the recovery you need.