Everything You Need to Know About Depositions

Chris Finney, Trial Attorney

The length of a deposition regarding a personal injury case varies dramatically. A deposition can last anywhere from five minutes to seven hours. It can also continue from day to day after that. 

What Happens If My Deposition Is Longer Than A Day?

Most of the time, if the deposition is going to be more than one day or more than seven hours, there will be a requirement to have court approval.

But, typically, if there’s going to be a deposition of our client, we know about how long it will take. Have we been surprised before, and a deposition we thought would take a few minutes last a few hours? Absolutely! We have spent many Friday nights with a defense attorney and our client late in the evening in a deposition that started mid-day.

Are There Rules To How Long A Deposition Can Last?

The rules allow for the defense attorney to take at least a full day. Typically, if we don’t think it’s egregious, we’ll allow it. We do try to find out in advance from the defense how long they think they will be. Do they need a half day, two hours, three hours, or seven hours?

However, we generally have a good feeling about the case and can predict if the deposition will be long or short. If it’s going to be more than a day, we’re going to go to the courthouse to get a time on it because we don’t want it to last forever. Our goal is for the deposition to be productive.

How Long Will My Deposition Last?

The short answer is your deposition will typically average anywhere from a half hour to two and half hours for a standard case and can go up to seven hours or longer for more complex or complicated cases. 

Who Can I Discuss My Video Deposition With?

If you have any questions about your upcoming deposition, don’t hesitate to get in touch with one of Finney Injury Law’s personal injury attorneys. We are here to help you. Call 314-293-4222 right away or email us at [email protected]

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Posted Under: Car Accident FAQs, General Personal Injury FAQs, Trial FAQs, Truck Accident FAQs