If you have been involved in some type of vehicle accident which was not your fault, you will probably be considering taking legal action against the driver or other party who was responsible for the accident.
Successful personal injury claims can help to pay for medical treatment and other financial costs associated with unexpected injuries that have been brought about by negligence on the part of others.
Many personal injury claims can be negotiated without having to go to court, but if that is not possible, it is important to be thoroughly prepared for a court appearance, a job made easier if you have chosen an experienced personal injury attorney. This article provides some tips on how to deal with a cross-examination by the defendant’s attorney.
Tip#1: Go Over Your Story With Your Attorney Carefully Before the Court Appearance
A cross examination by the defendant’s attorney is all about finding inconsistencies in your testimony and attempting to pour doubt on your interpretation of the facts which surround the incident which lead to your injuries.
A cross-examination is the defendant’s right, so you just have to deal with it the best way you can. The best way to do this is to go over your story with your chosen attorney very carefully several times and make sure that everything you have stated is the true version of what happened.
Tip#2: Check for Inconsistencies
The defendant’s attorney will be looking to see if you contradict yourself or claim something happened which you cannot prove. It is best to stick to the facts that you know can be proved and do not give any opinions of your own which cannot be substantiated by evidence that you and your attorney should already have made available to the court.
Tip#3: Ensure Witnesses are Reliable
The attorney will not just cross examine you, but any or all of the eye witnesses or medical experts who you are using to support your case. Your attorney should ensure that your witnesses are reliable and are able to make clear straightforward statements.
The cross-examining attorney will again try and probe what the witness says and look for inconsistencies and parts of the witness statements which appear to be “opinion” rather than straight facts. Witnesses are not expected to give an opinion about who was responsible for an accident, just state what they saw or heard at the time.
Tip#4: You Will be Relying on an Experienced Personal Injury Attorney
Unless you have previous experience of being present in court and being cross-examined, it can be an intimidating experience. It is vital that you choose a very experienced personal injury attorney to help prepare you for a court appearance.
Not all personal injury claims end up in court, but your attorney may decide that this is the only way to win the claim. Dealing successfully with a cross-examination is all about thorough preparation and that is the job of your attorney.
