What is an Interrogatory?

We’re often asked: What is an interrogatory? An interrogatory is a commonly used method of discovery in personal injury cases. Interrogatories are a list of written questions that are served by an opposing party and must be answered in writing as a part of the investigative process. An interrogatory makes sure that the courts will have your version of the facts of your injury claim. Sometimes, courts or opposing parties will use a pre-printed and created form interrogatory and ask you to fill it out. In other cases, the opposing party may create specific questions geared towards your specific accident. The questions can be broad or very specific.

Interrogatories are simply a way to make sure that the court and both parties have relevant and pertinent information about their case. Parties asked to answer interrogatories must do so under oath. The number and types of questions allowed are limited by rules of civil procedure. Protocol will also determine how much time a person has to respond to the questions. Normally, a party has about 30 days to respond to the case.

Attorneys are permitted to help their clients answer these interrogatories, which means that the answers are typically crafted in a way that best benefits the plaintiff. When you are responding, it is important that you heed your attorney’s advice and answer questions in a language that is favorable for your side of your argument.

You cannot lie when answering questions, as this is considered perjury. If you want more information about interrogatories, or if you don’t want to invent answers to these questions on your own, you need to hire a New York personal injury lawyer at Greenberg & Stein to assist you in your case. With the right attorney there to help, you can be sure that you are doing all you can to further your position in your personal injury lawsuit.