Tennessee Injury Law Center
I just settled my personal injury case. We were a week away from trial when we settled. When I got my money there was $5432 deducted for court reporter fees. What are they and why did I have to pay it?
The typical fee agreement in personal injury and wrongful death cases requires that the client reimburse the lawyer for out-of-pocket litigation-related expenses. Many times, the most significant of these expenses are fees paid to court reporters.
Court reporters don’t just write down and transcribe testimony in court. They also write down and transcribe the testimony of witnesses and parties during the discovery phase of a lawsuit. There is usually a court reporter at each deposition, and they charge not only for being present but also for writing down and transcribing testimony. In Nashville, a court reporter charges about $2000 for one day of deposition testimony.