While most Georgia personal injury lawsuits end with settlements before a trial begins, there are some situations where you'll have to go to trial. It's here where the skills of an Atlanta personal injury attorney are invaluable.

If you've decided to seek representation for your Georgia personal injury lawsuit, find out during your initial attorney meeting if your Atlanta personal injury attorney has had trial experience, and would be willing to go to court for you. 

If you do have to go to trial for your Georgia personal injury lawsuit, there are 6 stages that occur.

Jury Selection

The attorneys for each side will question potential jurors, and select those they feel will be most objective in judging your Georgia personal injury lawsuit. Once a jury has been selected, the actual court proceedings can begin.

Opening Statements

This is where your Atlanta personal injury attorney will give a statement outlining the injuries you sustained, and the defendant's role in your lawsuit. The defendant's attorney will give their opening statement second.

Witness Testimony/Cross-Examination

During this phase of your Georgia personal injury lawsuit, your Atlanta personal injury attorney as well as the lawyer from the other side will present the evidence available in your case. Of course, the types of evidence will be specific to your accident, but will typically: 

  • police reports;
  • photographs of the accident scene and your injuries;
  • questioning witnesses who take the stand;
  • and so on. 

Cross-examination is when a witness is questioned by the opposing side's attorney. Both sides will have the same opportunities to question witnesses, introduce evidence, and ask that certain pieces of evidence or statements be stricken from the record. If a piece of evidence or witness statement is deemed inadmissible by the judge, then a jury cannot use it when deliberating their verdict.

Closing Arguments & Jury Instruction

This is when your Atlanta personal injury attorney and defendant's attorney give final arguments to sum up their points. The judge will then give the jury a specific set of legal parameters and statutes to consider when deciding on a verdict for your Georgia personal injury lawsuit.

Verdict

The jury will then deliberate based on the evidence and arguments presented and eventually declare a verdict. Hopefully, the verdict will award you compensation for the damages you have sustained, but unfortunately there is no guarantee that a positive verdict will result from your trial.

If you are given an unsatisfactory verdict regarding your case, your Atlanta personal injury attorney can explain any options you may have for appealing the decision.

When to Contact an Atlanta Personal Injury Attorney

If you are the victim of someone else's negligence or carelessness, whether in a traffic accident or some other type of accident, you have certain rights guaranteed by law.  To help you understand these rights and seek the compensation you may be eligible for to help get your life back in order, contact the Atlanta Law Offices of Sheryl L. Burke for a no-cost consultation on your injury case.