Springfield personal injury attorneys can explain that a deposition is an opportunity for each party to learn about the other side of the case. However, it is also an opportunity for Springfield personal injury attorneys to lock down specific answers.

Roles of Deposition

Attorneys like to conduct depositions for a number of reasons. A common one is to find out the information that the witness knows. Another common reason is to learn the potential defenses that the other side is raising. Attorneys may also conduct depositions in order to narrow the scope of litigation by getting admissions.

Indicators

Sometimes a lawyer asks a question in a specific way because he or she wants to elicit a certain response. For example, if an attorney is trying to pin a witness down to a specific date or time, he or she may use leading questions. If the attorney wants a long answer, he or she may ask open-ended questions. If the attorney wants to start over on a question, he or she may state, “Strike that.” Then, he or she will start again. The purpose of this is to correct the written record of the deposition.

Problem with Lying

A witness may attempt to outsmart a lawyer during a deposition. However, this may only be evading the question or outright lying. However, if he or she is caught lying, the jury may be more inclined to believe that everything he or she says is a lie.

Legal Assistance

If you would like more information on the process of depositions, contact Springfield personal injury lawyers from McCarthy Rowden & Baker.