You slammed with a vehicle in front of you a few days ago. Because the driver appeared to be in good health, you reasoned that you might safely exit the vehicle. Because of an automobile accident, you received a summons to appear in court. A summons to court does not imply that you are being sued, so don’t panic. Learn about the different sorts of summons for a vehicle accident court case and what to do after receiving the summons in the following sections.
What Exactly Is a “Summoning”?
When you receive a summons, it serves as a formal notification that you must appear in court.
- To mount a timely defense against a civil case;
- In order to respond to a little offense;
- receiving a summons to jury duty,
- A summons to testify as a witness, as requested.
- All of the relevant information for a summons can be found in this document. It is common for summonses to include an accompanying complaint when a defendant is summoned in person or by mail.
What Do I Do Next?
As a defendant or a witness in a vehicle accident case, you are likely to receive a summons to appear in court. As a witness, you’re being asked to give testimony about the incident. You don’t need an attorney because you aren’t being charged with any crime or facing any legal consequences. It’s possible, though, that your testimony could contain damning statements, in which case you may want to see a lawyer. The summons must be answered even if you were not at the scene of the accident or believe that you have no connection to the case.
To respond to the complaint, you must be served with the summons if you are the defendant in a civil action or a minor criminal charge. If the case is for personal injury or property damage, contact your insurance carrier before submitting any paperwork. Send a copy of your summons to your insurance company and a car accident lawyer in Dothan AL. Insurance companies are required by contract to pay for your attorney’s fees and provide indemnification up to the policy amount if you have a legal claim.
There are two options if you don’t have insurance: hire an attorney or go it alone. If the issue is simple and you aren’t concerned about making decisions on your own, you can represent yourself without an attorney. Representing yourself, on the other hand, is fraught with dangers that could jeopardize your case. In order to succeed in court, you’ll need to know the rules of procedure and the laws that apply to your case. A personal injury lawyer should be contacted as soon as feasible.
Where Do We Go From Here?
An answer, which is a document containing your response to the complaint in the case, must be prepared for submission by you (or your attorney). Answering each paragraph of the complaint should be done either by acknowledging or denying, if necessary.
The summons should include the deadline for your response to the complaint, as stated in the summons. Even if you don’t believe you had anything to do with the accident, you still have a duty to report it as soon as possible. There are consequences for failing to do so: a judgment against you for non-appearance, non-filing of a pleading or non-compliance with procedural requirements. The court will then continue to calculate the amount of damages you’ll have to pay if that happens.