When a lawsuit is filed, the parties begin the process of “pre-trial discovery”. This means that we send questions to the defense to answer, and a request for the defense to give us relevant documents. The defense will do the same and ask us to identify each doctor you went to, the dates of your treatment, the amount of your bills, the amount of your lost wages from work, the outcome of your medical care, the names of all your expert witnesses along with a detailed statement of their opinions.
The court will also set a schedule imposing deadline for taking “depositions” of parties and witnesses. A deposition is testimony given before a court reporter, usually in an attorney’s office, to find out in advance of trial what that person knows about the facts.
If the case is not settled before trial, the jury will decide the issues and the court will enter a “judgment” on the “verdict” of the jury.
