It can feel like your back is against the wall when you’re accused of medical malpractice. And if you don’t mount an appropriately thorough and aggressive medical malpractice defense, then you could end up facing a judgment that’s costly to your financial well-being as well as your reputation and your career.
Fortunately, there are several defense strategies that you can use to give yourself a fighting chance against the plaintiff. One tactic that you should be sure to use in your case is deposing the alleged victim.
Tips for deposing the plaintiff in a medical malpractice case
Deposing the plaintiff can be a great way to discover information, pin down admissions, and minimize their claimed damages. But you can’t go into the process unprepared. Here are some things you should do as you ready yourself for the deposition:
- Research the plaintiff as much as you can, which may mean turning to online resources and social media pages, as well as talking to your co-workers to see if they’ve had any interactions with the plaintiff.
- Know what information you need to target to diminish the power of the plaintiff’s claim.
- Understand the plaintiff’s argument so that you know how to approach depositional questioning.
- Prepare your questions so that you get concrete answers to key facts.
- Anticipate how the plaintiff is going to try to avoid giving you the information that you want and need.
Be thorough in developing your medical malpractice defense
There are a lot of moving parts to a successful medical malpractice defense. That’s why it’s imperative that you take the time needed to build a comprehensive case. That can be daunting to think about when you’re unaffiliated with the legal arena, but that’s where your attorney may be able to step in to help.