Accidents that cause injury to other people, whether physical, emotional, or psychological, can result in lawsuits. The purpose of the plaintiff in filing a lawsuit against the defendant is to obtain compensation. Therefore, it is necessary to have personal injury interrogatories to obtain comprehensive information.
As a person who is unfamiliar with the law, you may have difficulty understanding the terms and diverse legal processes. Do not skip over the article below since it provides you full of need-to-know information.
What Are Personal Injury Interrogatories?
Interrogatories or examination is the process of discovering facts that become a reference for an accident that occurred and caused personal injury. The plaintiff and the defendant, both parties will be questioned to obtain comprehensive facts.
Generally, one of the parties involved in a civil lawsuit will send written questions to the other party. Next, the other party will answer the interrogation questions, and vice versa. Since each person’s answers can be life-altering to the other person, the party receiving the interrogation questions must provide honest answers and under oath.
The party who receives the question will also answer it in writing. In some countries, it is permissible for parties being interrogated to obtain copies of documents. A personal injury examination will streamline the trial as it takes place before the trial and during the trial phase.
How Significant Are Personal Injury Interrogatories?
Interrogatories play a significant role in obtaining justice and settlement. This period is also known as the personal injury discovery phase because both parties will gather evidence to enhance their claims. Accordingly, parties who do not have sufficient evidence can carry out a review.
Moreover, this discovery phase is essential since can provide justice to all parties, plaintiffs, and defendants. Hence, it will be easier to uncover facts that are not disputed and facts that are disputed.
How Many Common Questions Are There for Personal Injury Interrogatories?
According to information from AllLaw, the maximum limit of questions sent to other parties in a lawsuit is 25 interrogatories. Federal civil courts also limit the maximum number of 25 interrogatories you can send to one party. Thus, if you use two defendants, each defendant will receive 25 interrogatories.
Correspondingly, a total of 25 interrogatories cover all section and subsection questions (1a, 1b, and 1c). Hence, all sections and subsections will count as 3 interrogatories.
How Long Does It Take to Respond to Personal Injury Interrogatories?
AllLaw page notes that nearly all states provide a 30-day deadline to respond to interrogatories submitted by other parties. However, some states have diverse regulations regarding responding to interrogatories.
States that follow federal regulations will require parties responding to interrogatories to swear and sign the response. These regulations aim to emphasize the validity of these answers.
Meanwhile, some other states will require the person answering the interrogatories to sign the answer in front of a public notary. Although states use slightly different rules, ultimately the goal is to keep answers correct from all parties.
Other information obtained from Brandon J. Broderick stated that the maximum limit for a defendant to respond to personal injury interrogatories in New Jersey (NJ) is 60 days.
Meanwhile, the response to uniform interrogation for plaintiffs is 30 days. The validity period is effective from the moment the plaintiff receives the defendant’s answer to the complaint.
The Ultimate Guide for Responding to Interrogatories
Answering interrogatories is not easy because it requires careful consideration and thought. The reason is, you have to give honest answers but you also have to protect your rights to get compensation. The Injury.io page shares a guide to answering interrogatories which is a breath of fresh air. Let’s check them out!
1. Review the Question Carefully
To answer personal injury interrogatories, you must review the questions carefully to understand the meaning of the question. This step allows you to give the right answer.
Avoid rushing when reading and answering questions! If you encounter terms that are difficult to understand, you can ask your lawyer for assistance.
2. Organize Your Answer
To support the accuracy and completeness of your answers, ensure you answer the questions coherently. You can create categories or topics to organize your responses. Generally, organized answers not only look neat but also make it easier for those sending questions to understand them.
3. Be honest and Straightforward
The next tip you need to apply in answering personal injury interrogatories is to answer honestly and straightforwardly. Avoid giving misleading answers because it will give rise to new problems. Additionally, you must answer questions under oath.
4. Prepare Supporting Documentation
Since the discovery phase is not limited to getting facts through questions, you can provide supporting documentation. Examples of supporting documentation include financial documents, medical records, or police reports.
Providing these supporting documents will be very useful in confirming the facts that will be debated at trial. Undeniably, it’s best to have a copy of the document to make it safer.
5. Respond Based on Deadlines
The prior paragraph informs that the maximum limit for responding to personal injury interrogatories is 30 days, so be sure you answer no later than the specified deadline. If you are late in answering questions sent by other parties, you must be prepared to accept the consequences and legal sanctions for this problem.
What If I Object to Answering Certain Interrogatories?
You may encounter some interrogatories who refuse to answer it. So, is it okay not to answer this question? Definitely, you must answer all the questions submitted.
It’s best to consult with your lawyer so you don’t make a mistake in giving that answer. As with responding late, not answering certain questions will also require you to bear legal consequences and sanctions.
Does the Explanation Regarding Personal Injury Interrogatories Enlightening?
In essence, personal injury interrogatories are necessary to explore the facts of the plaintiff and defendant in an accident case. The party receiving the interrogatories must respond within 30 days after receiving them.
As part of the case, ensure to answer all the questions given even if you object to certain questions. Hiring a lawyer who specializes in personal injury will be helpful because they can provide expert advice and defense. Correspondingly, you can also consult how to respond to difficult-to-answer interrogatories.
