Questions Most Often Asked of Plaintiff In Car Accident Case

Before the date of a trial, the plaintiff must appear at a deposition. During that deposition, the attorney for the defendant can ask the defendant any question that might shed light on the degree to which the plaintiff’s injury has affected his or her earning power and lifestyle. The lawyer for the plaintiff can guess at many of those same questions, and can prepare his or her client for the coming deposition.

The questions most often asked of the victim of a car accident case

At the start, the person being questioned must offer only the most basic information. The lawyer will ask, “What is your name?” and “Where do you live?” Those opening questions might be followed by one that seeks the date of the plaintiff’s birthday. Alternately, the next inquiry might focus on the plaintiff’s marital status.
After that, the lawyer could be expected to seek details on the plaintiff’s living quarters. Does the plaintiff have to walk up any stairs, while inside of, or while going into his or her residence? To how many bathrooms does the plaintiff have access, when at home?
The personal injury lawyer in Collingwood with the questions might even inquire about the type of flooring in the plaintiff’s living quarters. Does that area have uncovered wooden floors, or is it carpeted? That question represents an attempt to assess the extent to which much effort needs to be put into any housekeeping chores. Having dealt with the situation in the plaintiff’s home, the lawyer would at some point switch to a focus on the victim’s/plaintiff’s job. Along with questions about his or her former job, the plaintiff should expect a question about his or her education. Such questions represent an effort to determine the amount of money the victim/plaintiff could have made, barring the occurrence of the unfortunate accident.

The questions asked toward the end of the deposition

If the plaintiff has complained about pain, then the lawyer will seek to determine the full extent of such pain. That can be done by proposing a scale of 1 to 10, with ten being the worst possible pain. The person being questioned must then match the pain he or she has experienced to a number between 1 and 10.
Finally, the lawyer’s questions will focus on the typical day of the person that claims to be injured and in pain. What does the plaintiff do to take up time during the day, when pain has limited his or her activities?
The plaintiff will need to have a reasonable routine to offer, in order to add support to any claim for damages from pain and suffering. Every day has 24 hours; a healthy person usually sleeps for about 7 and one half to 8 hours. Thus, the activities mentioned will need to fill the remaining 16 hours. Still, those hours should not be filled with activities that demand any movements that might seem painful.