What Are Depositions in Personal Injury Cases in Tennessee?

Depositions are out of court, sworn statements by witnesses and parties in personal injury and wrongful death litigation. Let me explain to you how the deposition process works.

Depositions take place in a conference room, usually in a lawyer's office -- something like this. The witness, called the deponent will sit in this chair right here. In this chair to the left, sometimes to the right of the witness will be a court reporter. And a court reporter will take down with a fancy little machine called a stenograph -- it is now computerized -- everything that is said by everybody in the room.

The lawyer for the witness will typically sit right over there. And that lawyer is there not to help the witness answer questions but to make sure that the questions are appropriate.

The lawyer who is actually taking the deposition will typically sit in a chair here or down here. And he or she will ask the witness questions about the case and about their background.

The purpose of the deposition is to help the lawyer understand how a particular incident occurred and how that incident has affected the life of the plaintiff -- that is the injured person in a personal injury wrongful death case.

The person who calls the wreck is also deposed and he or she would sit right here. The insurance company lawyer would sit to the right. And then your lawyer would have the opportunity to ask that person questions about their background and get their version of the incident.

The deposition process is an important part of every personal injury case because it allows for the exchange of information between the people involved and it helps facilitate settlements.

At The Law Offices of John Day, P.C. we've taken and prepared thousands of people for depositions. We can make you feel very comfortable with the process and help you to put your best foot forward.

Call us if we can help.