My lawyer says I have to give a deposition. What is that? Depositions are sworn statements taken from a party or witness in a lawsuit and they are often part of the discovery process. The person giving the statement is called the deponent. At the beginning of the deposition the deponent is…
I was hurt in a car wreck six months ago. I lost my job and my medical bills are enormous. I am behind on my mortgage and have been unable to make my car payments. Should I file bankruptcy, get my financial house in order, and then file a lawsuit…
My child was killed by a drunk driver. He was 10 years old. I want to file a lawsuit. His no-good mother, who never paid child support as ordered by the court and did not visit my son for the for the six year period after our divorce, says she…
My husband and I have a trial in Lebanon, Tennessee next month. Our lawyer said that the other side filed motions in limine. What does that mean? "Motions in limine" are papers filed with the court asking the court to reach a pre-trial ruling on certain matters, usually evidence issues. For…
I have a personal injury case going to try in Cookeville, TN next month. How many jurors need to vote for me for me to win? You will probably have a 12-person jury. That is the typical number of jurors in a civil jury trial in Tennessee. You and your…
I am in the middle of a lawsuit and my lawyer just sent me a mess of interrogatories that she says I have to answer. I don’t want to answer these questions – the information is none of their business. What happens if I don’t answer them? Interrogatories are written…
I was hurt in a car wreck. My back and leg were injuried. I don’t need surgery right now but who knows what will happen 10 years from now. Can I settle my case for my medical bills, my lost wages, and my pain and suffering and an agreement that…
I am involved in a lawsuit and had to answer interrogatories. Why did I have to go to the trouble of signing my name to my answers in the presence of a notary public? As you know, Interrogatories are written questions sent from one party in a lawsuit to an opposing…
I was hurt in a boating accident. It was the other guy’s fault. The doctor said that as I result of my injuries I might need knee surgery one day. Can I recover damages for the cost of that surgery? You can recover damages for a future surgery only if a doctor says…
I have a personal injury case pending in state court in Tennessee. What are the odds that my case will go to trial? These statistics will give you an idea of how many cases are actually tried. In the one-year period ending June 30, 2009, there were about 11,000 lawsuits filed…