Paul Horton: Car Accident Cases Going to Trial require a Trial Lawyer

When it comes to an auto accident, most of these claims are settled outside of court. However, if all of the attempts that you put forth fail in resolving your claim, your case will most likely go to trial and you will need a trial lawyer to help you along, not only with the case itself, but with the court trial itself. Below, we talk about what a trial is and why hiring a lawyer is so important.

What Is A Trial?

A trial is a culmination of proceedings in a personal injury case. During the trial, both parties will be given a chance to present evidence to the court. Once this type of process is finished, the court and the judge will come up with a final decision as to who is in the fault and who is not. Your trial lawyer can better guide you on exactly how the state of Utah and a trial concerning car accidents works.

Car accidents will usually be tried one of two ways;

1- You may be tried to a judge – this is called a bench trial.

2- You may be tried to a jury – this is called a jury trial.

What Type Of Evidence Will Be Presented?

During a trial both the defendant and the plaintiff will be allowed to provide evidence. The evidence can include anything in written form such as police reports, eye witnesses that saw the accident happen, etc. The plaintiff is also allowed to present medical bills and records as well such as treatment from Doctors, medical bills, damages done to you or your car and records of injuries noted by a Doctor. Your trial lawyer can actually be helpful in getting the proper forms and evidence together so that you know exactly what to present to the judge or to the court. There’s nothing worse than having no idea how to handle a case like this, only to have it thrown out (or lose) because you weren’t prepared beforehand. That is why a trial lawyer can be so helpful in cases like these.

Jury Deliberation

If the case is a jury trial, at the end of the evidence and statements, the jury will deliberate and make a decision as to if you are or are not responsible for the accident. On the other hand, if your case is a bench trial, the judge will present the role of a jury, view the evidence of both parties and come up with a final decision.

Appealing The Verdict

More often than not if you go to trial and you were not at fault, but you have a trial lawyer you will be represented properly, which also usually means you will win the case. However, if you chose not to hire a trial lawyer or if you lost the trial, you are allowed to appeal the judgment. However, this can be costly and can take even more time. Once the case has a final judgment, that’s it. You cannot go back and try the case again. This is another reason why it’s so important to have proper representation and hire a trial lawyer before the court trial even begins. Hiring a trial lawyer also gives him or her enough time to make sure that all of the information and evidence was collected properly so that you have a better chance at winning your case.

Free Initial Consultation with Lawyer

It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when. Legal problems come to everyone. Whether it’s your son who gets in a car wreck, your uncle who loses his job and needs to file for bankruptcy, your sister’s brother who’s getting divorced, or a grandparent that passes away without a will -all of us have legal issues and questions that arise. So when you have a law question, call Ascent Law for your free consultation (801) 676-5506. We want to help you!