How Has Injury Litigation Changed over the Years in Iowa?

Overview by Personal Injury Attorneys of Carney & Appleby, PLC

While the Iowa personal injury laws have remained stable regarding how liability for an accident is established, the handling of injury litigation continuously evolves.  An experienced personal injury attorney often researches the outcome of prior similar cases to establish legal precedents for the current case.  Legal precedents can affect a number of issues:

• Qualification of expert witnesses:  In general, an expert witness must be shown to have appropriate knowledge, training, education, or experience based on certain standards.  Once an expert witness has been established in a case, even if his or her qualifications fall outside the standards in some way, future cases may allow for similar allowances based on the prior case.
• Use of previously disqualified evidence:  The courts establish clear rules on which evidence can and cannot be used in a trial.  One example of disallowed evidence is hearsay evidence, which is essentially a statement made by a third party to a witness.  If a prior court decision allowed hearsay evidence under specific circumstances, a current case can cite this precedent as a reason to allow hearsay evidence when the circumstances are the same.
• Statute of limitations:  A period of time during which injury litigation in Iowa can be pursued is defined by law.  But, once a prior lawsuit filed after the statute of limitation period is accepted, perhaps because the victim was a minor, or for some other reason, that precedent can have a dramatic effect on future cases.

An experienced personal injury lawyer stays current with changes in the law and keeps informed of cases that can establish legal precedents for current and future cases.  If you have suffered injury due to an accident, you want to make sure you retain a personal injury attorney who pays attention to details and conducts the research that helps build the strongest possible case.  Your attorney must have knowledge of the Iowa laws surrounding personal injury. 

If you have suffered injury due to an accident, you should seek legal counsel as soon as possible after addressing your injuries.  Your attorney must have knowledge of the Iowa laws surrounding personal injury.  The law firm of Carney & Appleby, P.L.C. has over three decades of experience litigating Iowa personal injury cases.  We keep our clients well informed throughout the process, make sure we are thoroughly prepared, and we work hard to achieve the best results for our clients.

If you have concerns regarding Legislative Law, Personal Injury, Administrative Law, Criminal Law, Insurance Defense, Corporate Litigation, or Medical Malpractice, contact us today for a free initial consultation.