It is much more common for claims filed under Florida premises liability law to end with private settlement agreements than with civil court trials. This is primarily because settlements tend to be quicker and cheaper than trials. Another reason is that private settlement talks give both parties in the case more direct control over its outcome than a civil court verdict, which might end up pleasing neither party.
However, if you are unable to negotiate a fair settlement offer from an insurance company or private individual after suffering injuries because of a dangerous condition on someone else’s property, you may have to go through the Lake County premises liability trial process to try to obtain the compensation you need. Here is a brief overview of how the process works. Our knowledgeable premises liability attorneys at Largey Law Firm would be happy to explain it to you in greater detail.
Discovery and Jury Selection
After a judge sets a trial date for a Lake County premises liability claim, both sides go through the discovery process. It entails an exchange of information in which each party discloses to the other the evidence they will use to make their case in court. If it is a jury trial—as opposed to a bench trial heard solely by a civil court judge—there will also generally be deliberations between each side’s legal representation about selecting the jurors.
Opening Statements and Testimony
At the beginning of the trial, each side has the opportunity to make an opening statement about the facts of the case as it sees them. After that, both sides present evidence and witnesses’ testimony to support arguments for or against a specific amount of compensation for the plaintiff. (If you have decided to pursue compensation in court, you are the plaintiff.) During this phase of the trial process, both sides often bring in expert witnesses to provide in-depth testimony about specific aspects of the premises liability case—for example, at your trial, a Lake County doctor could testify about your injuries’ nature and severity.
Cross-Examination and Rebuttal
The trial process for a Lake County premises liability case also includes opportunities for each side to cross-examine the evidence and testimony the other side presented. The cross-examination consists of follow-up questions about the details of what people said. Sometimes, after the defense has rested its case, there is a formal rebuttal to specific arguments it made.
What Are the Possible Outcomes in a Final Verdict?
After closing arguments by both sides, the jury—or the judge in a bench trial—deliberates and then generally either decides in favor of the plaintiff and recommends a specific amount of compensation to be awarded to them or decides in favor of the defendant and recommends that the case be dismissed. If a Lake County civil jury cannot come to a unanimous agreement about its decision, the judge may declare a mistrial and dismiss the premises liability case or allow the trial process to start all over again.
Call Our Lake County Attorneys To Discuss the Steps in a Premises Liability Trial
You can reach a private settlement agreement at any point during the Lake County premises liability trial process before the rendering of the final verdict. If you formally begin trial proceedings, though, you should be prepared to pursue your claim to its legal conclusion in court. This can be very difficult to manage alone.
If you hire our firm, our experienced attorneys could support you by personally handling every step of the legal process. We could fight hard to achieve a positive resolution to your case. Call us at Largey Law Firm today for a free consultation.
