Jean Testifies

"How do you feel," asked Joe. "I'm scared but I'm ready," replied Jean. "You are ready," agreed Joe. "You ought to be after two years of preparation. Do you remember the order of the questions I will be asking you?"

"Life history, work history, family history and future plans," started Jean, "the accident, my injuries, my recovery……..problems I am having now at home and problems at work." "That's perfect", said Joe. "And remember why we chose the order for the questions I ask you. We are dealing with a jury. They won't be familiar with the legal process. It's important to keep their attention. We want to keep the story interesting, short and to the point."

"Joe, what if they don't believe me?" asked Jean. "I know how to use descriptive words like throbbing and burning to describe the pain. But you can't see it. You can't measure it. And the other lawyer is going to try and say I am making it all up, like she did at the examination for discovery."

"Jean, you can't worry about that," replied Joe. "We've distilled 37 years of your life into one day of testimony. We are organized. We know what the doctors are going to say about your injuries. They believe that the pain in your hand is real. They will say the same thing about the pain in your back and neck."

"We know what your family and friends will say. We know what your co-workers will say. They have all seen the pain you suffer. They will all comment on the change in your appearance and the manner in which you have had to adjust to get through the day."

"These people have all seen the change in you since the accident," said Joe. "They know you and they know you are a truthful person. And they all believe you. So my job is to make sure that the jury gets to know you as well as your family and friends do. It is my job to make sure that the jury understands the medical problems as well as your doctors do. We don't have much time to do that, so it is a challenge. That is one reason why we have spent so much time in preparation. And once the jury has seen you and heard you, they will understand. Because by then, they will know you like we all do."

The plaintiff's evidence is the most crucial evidence in a personal injury trial. The jury must get to know the plaintiff from the outset. Only then will they be able assess the medical and economic evidence with confidence.

We understand this at Horne Marr Zak. We know that a personal injury lawsuit is more than talking about injuries. A lawsuit is about people. Our success at trial is a direct result of the time we spend getting to know our clients and their lives. We spend the time because we care about the legal process. And we care about your future.