Deposition Testimony
01-02-2009
Testimony given by a healthcare provider or expert witness at trial differs greatly from testimony given at a deposition. At trial, testimony is presented to persuade a judge or jury on issues of negligence, causation, injury severity, etc. At a deposition, testimony is sorted out and inquired into so that all sides know the facts, circumstances, and opinions of the provider.
Setting A deposition is the taking of testimony under oath. It is conducted out of court and generally in the healthcare provider’s office. In most cases, the deposition is requested by the insurance company’s attorney. All questions and answers are recorded by a court reporter who is present at the deposition. Since there is no judge present during the deposition, any objections by an attorney to any question (such as the question is not relevant, misleading, etc.) is simply noted by the court reporter and preserved for a later time when a judge will rule on the appropriateness of the question and response.
Tags: Deposition testimony
