A deposition is sworn pretrial testimony
Parties, treating professionals, fact witnesses, and experts may be questioned under oath as part of discovery. Preparation should focus on truthful recollection and the actual record, not memorizing a script.
What a claimant may review with counsel
- Treatment chronology and major medical records
- Prior medical history relevant to the allegations
- Employment and damages documentation
- Written discovery responses already served
- Rules about breaks, objections, documents, and corrections
Why deposition testimony matters
The transcript can be used later in motions, expert work, settlement discussions, or trial. Inconsistencies may be important, so guessing when memory is uncertain can create avoidable problems.
Check current law before relying on a procedural rule
Medical-malpractice filing rules differ by state and can change. Use the relevant court, legislature, medical-board, and lawyer-licensing sources, and ask licensed counsel to calculate deadlines or filing requirements for a specific matter.