A local injury lawyer describes the steps a lawsuit takes in SC from the time it's filed until trial.
Transcript
Let's talk about the lawsuit process, it's also called litigation. It starts with us filing the lawsuit, also called a complaint. The next step is, the other side called the defense, files an answer. Just like it sounds it's their response to our complaint. After that we enter what's called the discovery phase and there's two parts to that. We have written discovery, which consists of documents called interrogatories and also request for production interrogatories or just written questions you answer. Request for production is where you give the other side your evidence of the case. That’s why it's called discovery, you discover what each other has.
The second part of discovery is called depositions. Depositions are out of court sworn testimony. After depositions we often go to a process called mediation which is where the parties, both sides, hire a lawyer who's not involved in the case, who's got a lot of experience with the type of case you have and that lawyer tries to get both sides to come to a settlement. If that fails, if it's personal injury case we go into depositions with you your doctors.
We take trial depositions of doctors by video, the reason for that is doctors are extremely busy and we can't expect them to take time off healing people to come testify at your trial, so we just let them testify by videotape. By the time all that's done, your case is ready for trial and all that's left to do is get you ready and for the lawyers to prepare their arguments and prepare to examine the other witnesses in the case. Usually about 15 to 24 months after a lawsuit is filed in Spartanburg County it's ready for trial. If we're representing you you'll be ready and so will we.
If you are thinking about a personal injury case going to trial and don't have a lawyer it's time to think about getting one. Going to trial without a lawyer it's like operating on yourself and nobody's going to do that. I thank you for thinking about this with me.
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