How Depositions Can Make or Break Your Personal Injury Case

When in need of a great court reporter Washington DC businesses trust and respect, Capital Reporting Company has become one of the top choices for reliable reporting and deposition services. In our experience, the goals of many personal injury case deposition are simple: the lawyer wants to get an accurate and complete picture of what happened during the accident, and also to evaluate the witness and determine if he or she could be a reliable witness to have in court.

For lawyers who are handling a very sensitive personal injury case, it is invaluable to work with a company that offers some of the most reliable deposition services Washington DC can provide. Using a top court reporting service can ensure that your deposition makes your case rather than breaks it.

So why exactly can one deposition have so much influence on a personal injury case? It’s all in the details.

  1. Body language matters. Personal injury lawyers often analyze the body language of a witness to determine the overall possible value of that witness in court. When you work with a great court reporter Washington DC has to offer, such as Capital Reporting Company, videography services are easily accessible as well. These recordings make it easy to analyze a witness’ body language even after a deposition has happened. As many great lawyers know, body language often says a lot more to a jury about a witness than the words that person speaks. If an attorney puts someone on the stand who comes off poorly to the jury, it may not matter what their testimony is — their body language may influence the jury’s first impression leading to an unfair, unfavorable opinion of what the witness has to say
  2. Witnesses don’t always tell the whole truth. As many law firms advise their clients, it’s essential and required by law to tell the truth during a deposition — but clients should stick to the facts and only provide answers for the questions a lawyer asks. Providing too many details without being asked could lead to an objection. It’s up to the legal team to catch important details and points in a testimony. Having the verbatim text of the deposition at their fingertips can help an attorney catch details they may have missed at the taking of the deposition that can influence the trajectory of the case.
  3. Frenzied Q&A’s can lead to inaccurate transcriptions. The purpose of a court reporter Washington DC can trust is to note — as accurately as possible — everything the lawyer and witness say during a deposition. When the witness speaks over the lawyer (or vice versa), the court reporter may not be able to catch everything that both parties say. It’s easy for lawyers to miss small details during a deposition, which is why a full transcript of the conversation is so beneficial. When this transcript cannot reflect everything both parties say, it’s possible for the legal team to miss an important detail that could make or break the case.

Your Trusted Source for Washington DC Court Reporters

Personal injury cases can be very complicated and may involve several important parties, especially when the defendant and plaintiff cannot reach a settlement outside of the courtroom. Small details can have a tremendous impact on the value of a witness’ testimony in court and it is essential for lawyers to have a trustworthy reporting service so that no detail is accidentally ignored.

If you’re looking for a reliable court reporter Washington DC companies turn to for personal injury deposition services, contact Capital Reporting Company today.


Thanks to our friend and contributor, Wayne R. Cohen, a DC, VA, and MD personal injury lawyer at Cohen & Cohen, P.C., for his added insight into personal injury practice.