Filing a personal injury lawsuit is one of the only ways to hold an at-fault party accountable for your accident, and to secure compensation to offset the cost of any damages or injuries you’ve sustained. But when you file a personal injury lawsuit, there are a few steps you have to take first before you can walk away with a settlement check. These steps can include pretrial negotiations with the defendant, discussions with witnesses and others involved in the accident, and the dissemination of evidence. This is what’s referred to as the discovery process.

As part of the discovery process, you will likely be required to provide information by answering written questions. These questions are referred to as interrogatories. Interrogatories are an important part of the personal injury settlement process, as they provide important information and evidence regarding what happened during your accident. Read on to learn more about what to expect before you start answering interrogatories, and how they work.

What Can I Expect While Answering Interrogatories?

After any kind of accident, you should call a lawyer right away to begin the process of filing a personal injury claim. After you’ve filed your personal injury claim, you and your lawyer will begin the aforementioned discovery process with the at-fault party. The intention of this discovery process is so that both the plaintiff and defendant can exchange whatever evidence they have as well as their defense cases/arguments they have prepared for the trial. This process is typically quite lengthy as it involves the dissemination of a lot of different information. The discovery process can last from six months to a year or even longer to complete.

During this process, interrogatories occur. You and your lawyer will write up and deliver written questions to the defendant in order to collect their answers. They must then give honest answers to these questions under oath. Both the defendant and plaintiff are allowed to send questions to one another, so be mindful that you will have to answer questions as well as provide them to the other party. There is a limit on the number of questions you can send and receive, so your lawyer will advise you which questions are best to ask the other party.

When it comes to providing answers, your lawyer will ensure that you don’t accidentally incriminate yourself, provide irrelevant information, or otherwise endanger the success of your case during this process. Both parties only have thirty days to respond to the questions, so your lawyer will also help ensure that you meet this deadline with no issues and answer each question with confidence on time.

What Kind Of Questions Might I Be Asked In Interrogatories?

Interrogatory proceedings are a crucial part of the discovery process for any personal injury lawsuit. For this reason, both parties use this opportunity to ask questions that they believe will reveal the most truth and provide the most insight regarding how the accident happened. Examples of questions that might be asked during interrogatories include:

  • How exactly did the accident occur?
  • What were you doing the day of the accident?
  • What were you doing in the preceding 24 hours before the accident, and were you taking drugs or alcohol?
  • List how many accidents you have been in and state what happened
  • Have you ever been charged with a felony or misdemeanor?

As mentioned earlier, your lawyer will advise you regarding the interrogatory proceedings and will let you know how to best answer any questions that are asked of you. By working with Church and Page, you can rest assured that you’ll receive the highest standard of legal advice possible, and that our team will stop at nothing to make sure your case is as strong as possible.

Schedule A Free, No Obligation Consultation With Church And Page About Your Accident Today

If you have been involved in any kind of accident in Washington, you need to contact Church and Page right away. Getting a head start on building a strong case for your defense is crucial, and the sooner you call, the sooner we can get started. Interrogatories and the discovery process are inevitable but, with the help of the right lawyer, you can tackle these questions head on, provide smart answers, and all in all ensure your personal injury case has all the elements it needs to be successful.

Not all Yakima personal injury lawyers offer a free, no-obligation consultation for accident victims, but Church and Page does. Call today to schedule your initial case evaluation and to learn how to move forward with your injury case to get the settlement you deserve.