When it comes to a personal injury case that has gone to court, you probably assume that the judge's determination is final, whether you have a bench or jury trial. Either way, the truth is that you may have an opportunity to have that decision reconsidered by the means of an appeal. Here's what you need to know about the appeal process and what it means for you.
Appeal Fundamentals
An appeal is essentially just an opportunity to have another court review the case and the decision to determine if there were any errors in judgment or mistakes made in the legal process.
While there is always the possibility that the decision will be upheld, there are some situations where the decision may be overturned in your favor. However, in order for you to file that appeal, you must have some legally-recognized grounds to do so.
Appeal Grounds
In order to understand when you should appeal a decision, you need to understand what situations may allow you to file that appeal. There are a few situations where you might have grounds to appeal a decision from your personal injury case.
If there were any legal mistakes made through the course of your hearing, that may provide you with sufficient grounds for an appeal. Some common legal mistakes include improperly handled or introduced evidence.
You may also be able to appeal the decision based on your attorney's behaviors. If you feel as though you had insufficient or incompetent legal representation, you can appeal on those grounds with the assistance of a different attorney.
Finally, you could also file an appeal on the basis of misconduct on the part of the jury. If there were any cases of jury tampering, a juror who did not follow the rules as they should have, or any other similar issues, that's another ground for you to file an appeal.
Case Protection
If you want your case to have the best possible chance of working out in your favor, or you are considering an appeal from a case that just completed, you should reach out to an attorney in your area. Working with an experienced attorney will help to ensure that your case is well-prepared, organized, and concise. He or she can also tell you what your best chances are for your case or appeal based on the evidence at hand. Contact a lawyer near you for more information about your case.
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