Multiple Defendants in a St. Louis County Car Accident Case
Car accident victims who have suffered substantial losses as a result of another person’s negligence should feel the need to take legal action to recoup their damages. However, in some cases, victims may be encouraged to take action against several parties if they all contributed to their injuries. When this occurs, it is important that the rights steps are taken early on.
Having multiple defendants in a St. Louis County car accident case could have its benefits, but just the same, it also comes with its disadvantages. To begin discussing your case, be sure to schedule a consultation today.
Litigation Process Involving Multiple Defendants
If there are multiple defendants in a trial, the process is mostly the same as if there were only one defendant. However, the process is slightly different in that the defendant will be going twice in whichever order the court chooses.
For example, the plaintiff will go first, whether it is an opening statement pointing out evidence or in closing arguments, and the defense will go second. However, when there are more than one defendant in the case the process may continue as; plaintiff, defendant, defendant in each stage of the process.
Could Having Multiple Defendants Influence the Outcome of a Case?
Having multiple defendants in a St. Louis County car crash trial can influence the outcome in a variety of ways. One strategy employed by defendants is for them to team up against the plaintiff and point the finger at that plaintiff. However, this option is rarely considered by the defense.
In other cases, defendants would argue amongst themselves. Although this may sound like it is beneficial to the plaintiff, it could actually harm the plaintiff’s chances of obtaining a favorable outcome because it may divide the jury panel as to who is at fault. At least nine people must be in the plaintiff’s favor for them to enter a verdict on their behalf, and if they are split three ways, they will never get to that nine-person requirement.
Health Privacy Laws
When there are multiple defendants in a jury trial, some people might have concerns about health privacy laws. However, they must know that if they choose to go to trial, most of what is discussed is public. Although in some very narrow situations the courtroom could be closed to the public, this is a very rare situation, and one should not count on that happening during the trial.
Whatever is discussed will be heard by the people in the jury room and will be codified by the court order forever. Unless the court record is sealed for some legal reason, this information could be obtained by any source at any time after the jury trial. This is why it is very important to decide in advance whether one should pursue a case.
Schedule a Consultation Today
Car accident cases involving multiple defendants could prove to be a difficult situation to handle. To render a positive result, the services of an experienced attorney should be retained. A lawyer familiar in dealing with multiple defendants in a St. Louis County car accident case could speak with you about how to approach a case of this type and provide you with the representation necessary for obtaining a positive result.