If your personal injury claim proceeds to litigation, you will inevitably have to give a deposition prior to your trial. However, you should not let this intimidate you. A deposition is just testimony given outside of trial, and your Florida personal injury attorney will help you prepare for it.

Doing well at a deposition is relatively straightforward. Make sure to carefully read—not skim—all of the materials that your lawyer asked you to read.

You should arrive on time and be dressed appropriately. Wear nothing that you wouldn’t wear to an important job interview.

Listen carefully to the questions that the defense attorney asks you. Wait until you hear the entire question, and think before you speak. Speak clearly and never say more than you have to. Rambling and giving extra information to the defense may damage your case.

It is also very important that you be polite to the defense attorney and not try to argue with him. It is your attorney’s job to argue on your behalf; he will do that in court, in front of a judge.

The final, most important rule is: never lie during a deposition, even if you think the truth will hurt your case. Your attorney can handle circumstantial evidence that might seem incriminating. However, your case can be demolished if you are caught in a lie, even a seemingly innocuous one.

A good Florida personal injury attorney will be preparing you to testify long before you actually step into the deposition room. If you have to litigate your claim, make sure you have the right attorney. Call experienced Florida personal injury attorney John Fagan today for a free initial consultation.