What You Should Expect If Your Car Accident Case Goes To Trial In Florida
The majority of personal injury cases are settled outside court before a lawsuit is filed. And of the personal injury lawsuits that do get filed, most are resolved before trial. Research shows that approximately 95% of pending personal injury lawsuits end in a pre-trial settlement. So, if you were injured in a Florida car accident because of another party’s negligence, there is a high chance that your car accident case will be resolved outside of court before a lawsuit is filed. And if a lawsuit is filed, there is a high chance that your case will be resolved before a trial takes place. But, it’s also true that it is possible for your car accident case to proceed to trial. In the event that your Florida car accident goes to trial, it is important to know what to expect.
Why Would Your Florida Car Accident Case Go to Trial?
Before going into what to expect if your car accident goes to trial in Florida, it is crucial you first understand why your case would go to trial. There are two main reasons your Florida car accident case would go to trial. First, if there is a disagreement about who caused your car accident, your case might need to go to trial. Second, even if there is consensus about who caused the accident, but you and the insurance company cannot agree on the amount of compensation you should receive, yoinur case might need to go to trial.
What You Should Expect if Your Florida Car Accident Case Goes to Trial
If your Florida car accident case goes to trial, the first step will be jury selection or voir dire. At this stage, potential jury members will be asked a series of questions aimed at eliminating any bias or prejudices. Once jury members have been selected, a trial date will be set.
The trial will start with opening statements. Your attorney will start, and then the defendant’s attorney will follow. Opening statements provide an opportunity for each side to set the stage for the jury and lay out the side of their case.
After your attorney and the defendant’s attorney give opening statements, your attorney will present your case. At this stage, your attorney will present supporting evidence for your claims. For example, your attorney might present witnesses, expert witnesses, photos and videos, and medical documents. If your attorney presents witnesses, the other side will have a chance to cross-examine the witnesses.
Once your attorney is done presenting their evidence, the defendant’s attorney will present theirs. Fortunately, your attorney can challenge the defendant’s evidence through cross-examination and objections.
Following the presentation of evidence, your attorney and the defendant’s attorney will give closing arguments. These arguments talk to the jury about the evidence. A closing argument is a chance for the attorneys to convince the jurors to draw certain conclusions from the evidence.
Once your attorney and the defendant’s attorney give closing arguments, the jury will proceed to deliberate on the evidence. After deliberation, the jurors will reach a verdict which will be shared with you. If the verdict favors you, you will be able to recover compensation.
Contact Us for Legal Help
If you suffered injuries in a Florida car accident because of another party and need legal help, contact our skilled and dedicated Key West & Marathon car accident attorneys at Florida Keys Injury at 786-605-8500.
