By Farhan Naqvi, Personal Injury Lawyer in Las Vegas
You have consulted with an attorney and have decided to pursue a personal injury lawsuit. Your lawyer has drawn up the complaint and has filed it with the appropriate court. The defendant has been notified of the lawsuit.
So what happens next?
After the suit has been filed, both sides will begin preparing for the “discovery” phase of the case. Discovery involves gathering evidence and information about the incident, its participants, and its consequences. So you and your lawyer will have to formulate a “discovery plan.”
There are two basic parts of a discovery plan: an informal investigation and formal discovery.
During an informal investigation (much of which can be done even before the suit is actually filed), you and your lawyer might:
- conduct informal interviews of witnesses or others involved in the incident
- take photos of the scene where the incident occurred
- collect documents related to your medical bills and lost time at work
- establish whether the defendant is insured and to what extent
Formal discovery encompasses the legal processes leading up to a trial. This is when you and your lawyer would:
- establish written questions (called interrogatories) that must be answered in writing under oath by the defendant
- request that the defendant provide certain documents that are pertinent to the case
- work with the defendant to establish which facts are true and which evidence is genuine
- conduct a deposition where the defendant must answer specific questions orally and under oath
If you have any questions about a discovery plan, an informal investigation, or formal discovery, your personal injury lawyer will be able to answer them for you.
About the Editor: Farhan R. Naqvi is a Las Vegas personal injury lawyer who has experience representing victims injured in car accidents, drunk driver crashes, truck wrecks, slip and falls, taxi cab accidents, and bicycle crashes. He also has experience handling spine injury, product liability, underinsured/uninsured driver, and wrongful death cases. If you’ve been seriously hurt in an accident in Summerlin, North Las Vegas, Clark County, Henderson, Boulder City, Green Valley, or Pahrump, give Farhan a call at 702-553-1000 for a free, no-hassle consultation.