When you are involved in a personal injury case, your personal history is open to the public…
Dec 4th, 2007 | By Michael L. Saile, Jr., Esq. | Category: Blogs, New Jersey Injury Information, Pennsylvania Injury InformationPart of a PA or NJ personal injury case is sharing you past medical history with the Defendant. You must also disclose if you have been convicted of a crime. This sharing of information is called “Discovery”. Discovery is required by both the PA and NJ rules of civil procedure (court rules). The Defendant has the right to dig into your past and access your past medical records.
Sometimes your past medical records can reveal embarrassing conditions or medical conditions that you wish to be keep private. Treatment for drug or alcohol problems can also be revealed in Discovery.
One of the first steps of Discovery in a PA or NJ personal injury case is answering questions called “Interrogatories”. Standard Interrogatories are sometimes set forth in the court rules depending on what type of case you have. Your lawyer may be able to supplement or add additional interrogatories if the court rules and the facts of the case permit.
If you were involved in a Bucks County, Pennsylvania car accident or a Bucks County, PA personal injury case, the Bucks County local rules of court set forth Standard Interrogatories for you to answer.
We have attached the Standard Interrogatories for a Bucks County personal injury case here: Bucks County Form Interrogatories.pdf
A review of these Standard Bucks County Interrogatories will give you an idea of what types of information must be shared with the Defendant or opposing party.
The author of this Blog, Philadelphia car accident lawyer, Michael L. Saile, Jr., Esq. of Saile & Saile LLP, Attorneys-at-Law focuses his practice on fighting for plaintiffs’ personal injury and car accident victim’s rights in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey. We handle all serious injury cases including, car accidents (both limited and full tort), wrongful death, slip & fall downs, construction accidents, Septa, NJ Transit, and other cases other cases. We are located just outside of Philadelphia in lower Bucks County. We also handle Philadelphia plaintiffs’ personal injury and car accident cases. Please visit our personal injury only website at www.pa-nj-injurylawyer.com for more injury information.
I think question 3 is extremely misleading, they are asking if you were treated at a hosptal for the accident.,
I my mind this question is worded wrong, it should read for the accident for which this litigation is concerned.
I was interviwed once for interogatories over a car accident I was in. It took place in a lawyers office with the lawyer for the plantiff and my insurance companies lawyer. It was have been about 1986.
I was asked questions for what seemed like over an hour by the plantiff’s attorney.
And even though I was only 19, I really was a stickler, answering each question yes or now, and really sticking it to the lawyer to be specific.
At one point he asked me if i knew how much insurance i had, I SAID YES. The lawyer for the insurance company objected, but the mediator said i had to answer. I said i ALREADY ANSWERED, MY ANSWER IS YES.
Tahe plantiff’s attorney then asked me again if i knew how much insurance i had, again i said i alreadsy answered, yes i do.
See what kind od idiots attorneys are sometimes.. …what he really wanted to ask me was how much insurance i had, not if i knew how much.
I shouild been been an attorney.
TAHEN AFTERWARD i GOT TO SIT AND WATCH THE INSURANCE COMPANY ATTOPRNEY GRILL THE PLANTIFF.
THAT WAS SAD IN A WAY.
I HAD 100,000 IN LIABILTY INSURANCE.
DONT KNOW HOW MUCH SHE GOT.
Why do we accept the release of our personal information without questioning it? And when public officials have their information made public on the internet they definitely object to it!