Alabama Injury Lawsuit - Part Six - Overview Of Discovery
Discovery is just what the word implies. It is a chance for both sides to discover what evidence the other side has to support their case. During this process, each side submits questions to each other to obtain that information.
These questions are in the form of Interrogatories (written questions trying to discover what facts a party has) Requests for Documents (written questions trying to discover the documentation a party has to support his or her case) Requests for Admissions (questions designed to narrow the facts in dispute by getting the other party to either admit or deny a specific fact) and depositions (oral questions where parties or witnesses testify live and under oath as to what facts they know).
The absolutely most important thing about answering discovery is to be as complete, accurate and truthful as you can be. While most people wouldn't lie under oath, some people do get caught up in exaggerating what happened to make their case seem a little stronger. This will usually backfire. The lawyers for the other side will be prepared and will know if you are exaggerating. As lawyers are trained to do, they will then turn this on you to make you look like a liar. We have seen more good cases lost or severely diminished in value due to mistakes like this.
There are a lot more specifics for each type of discovery that are beyond the scope of this article. But, the important thing is do not ever put yourself in a position where what you say could be interpreted as anything other than the truth. Stick to this and you should come out ok.
