How Voir Dire is Used in Personal Injury Law?

Personal injury attorneys and the defendant’s lawyers can question witnesses or potential jurors to uncover potential conflicts of interest or impartiality (in cases of jurors) when the personal injury case goes to trial. By questioning potential jurors, attorneys can learn about their background or belief systems to better help with jury selection.

Famous Cases Voir Dire Was Used

The People v. Simpson

In 1995, former NFL star, O.J. Simpson was tried for the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend, Ron Goldman. The O.J. Simpson trial was very high profile, and it was difficult to find a jury of his peers that hadn’t be exposed to information about the highly publicized case. For this reason, voir dire was an essential part of jury selection, to ensure that Simpson received a fair trial.

When is Voir Dire Used in the Legal Process?

Voir dire is implemented for jurors during jury selection. A juror might be asked relevant questions about their beliefs as they pertain to elements of the case that may be presented. For example, if the case is against a defendant on trial for a shooting, a juror may be asked on their feelings about Second Amendment rights. If an expert witness comes into play, the opposing side may ask that witness questions in pretrial to determine if they are competent in the subject matter they are testifying for.

Is Voir Dire Used in Kentucky Personal Injury Law?

Yes! If a personal injury case goes to trial, having expert witnesses can help some cases. When the plaintiff’s or defendant’s side wants to bring in an expert witness, the opposing side has the opportunity to question them about their credentials. Additionally, should the personal injury case go to a jury trial, questioning witnesses on their backgrounds with insurance companies and big businesses could help in the jury selection process.

Is Voir Dire Used in Tennessee Personal Injury Law?

Yes! When Tennessee personal injury cases go to trial, attorneys have the right to question expert witnesses to determine their knowledge of the topics they’ll be testifying for. For jury selection, voir dire is used to help attorneys on both sides understand the beliefs and backgrounds of potential jurors.

How Does Hughes & Coleman Injury Lawyers Use Voir Dire?

Should your case go to trial, the experienced attorneys at Hughes & Coleman may want to bring in expert witnesses to help support the evidence in the case. If this happens, Hughes & Coleman will ensure that questions asked during the voir dire process are relevant to the case. On the flip side, should the defendant’s legal team bring in an expert witness, your personal injury lawyer from Hughes & Coleman will ask appropriate questions to ensure that the witness is competent in his or her field. When it comes to jury selection, we will use voir dire to ensure that you get a fair trial based on how the jury is perceived.

Frequently Asked Questions About Voir Dire

Voir dire means “to speak the truth” in French.

Jury selection is the entire process of finding a jury of a defendant’s peers to ensure they get a free trial. Voir dire is a part of the jury selection process, in which lawyers ask potential jurors questions to get an understanding of each juror and how they may react to pieces of evidence or parts of a trial.

There are several variations of the English pronunciation of voir dire. While one of the most common pronunciations is “Vwah-Deer” other pronunciations include, “Vwar deer” and “Vore Deer”.