Will I Need a Court Reporter for a Personal Injury Case?

Criminal Defense Lawyer

You will have a number of decisions to make if you are considering taking legal action for a personal injury case. Once you have spoken with an attorney, you will need their help in sorting out whether you should file an insurance claim or take legal action in the form of a lawsuit. At some point in your case you may require the services of a court reporter. Although you may not realize their importance, they can play a key role during the legal process. Whether you are being deposed or must testify in the courtroom, a court reporter can be of particular use in putting together a comprehensive record of legal proceedings. Your attorney may be able to help find a court reporter if you are facing a deposition at some point for your personal injury case.

Court Reporters

Court reporters or stenographers play an integral role in keeping accurate records of legal proceedings. Although some may believe that they may be able to achieve the same results through taking notes or recording testimony, in the long run this can be incredibly time consuming and not at all as accurate as a court reporter’s transcription. A court reporter will create a transcript almost immediately following a deposition or legal proceeding. This allows the parties involved to have access to testimony and case details when strategizing for personal injury cases.

Depositions

The process of discovery, is when each side works to gather information regarding the case at hand. The deposition is a component to the discovery phase of a legal case.  A deposition allows for legal counsel to obtain testimony from relevant people involved in the case. Testimony from a deposition can be used in the courtroom later down the road if necessary. During testimony, an attorney can ask questions in efforts to gather case information from the opposing side. This can give legal counsel a good idea of next steps in a personal injury case. Some situations may result in a settlement offer, allowing the case to resolve. In other cases,  the deposition may be a good indicator that the case will need to go to trial. A court reporter will play an important role in transcribing the deposition for your attorney to review later down the road should they need to. Although a deposition can feel stressful, any good attorney may prepare you for the process you are about to endure. They should be able to give you a good overview of what to expect from a deposition and the questions the opposing counsel are likely to ask.

Reasons to Secure a Court Reporter

As your attorney is preparing for a deposition, they are likely to secure the services of a court reporter to transcribe the process. More than likely, your attorney will have a court reporting company whose services they regularly utilize. Common reasons attorneys use court reporters for their personal injury depositions include:

• To have an accurate and detailed record of the deposition
• To save time and money it would take to have someone else transcribe a recorded deposition
• Their transcription may allow an attorney to properly prepare for legal proceedings that may come later down the road
• They are the best way of obtaining the most accurate transcript possible.

For a number of years New York court reporters or stenographers have played an essential role in recording transcription. Whether it is for legal entanglements or some other purpose, they provide a clear record that can be referred back to whenever needed. In personal injury cases, this give an attorney a record of events that they are able to refer back to when strategizing their cases.

Thank you to our friends and contributors at Veritext Legal Solutions for their insight into court reporting and  if you need a court reporter for your personal injury case.