When a Virginia personal injury case goes to trial, the jurors will be listening to the arguments made on both sides. Jurors tend to have a lot of questions during a personal injury lawsuit.
One of the first questions usually asked by jurors during trial is if the defendant is insured. The answer is almost always yes and the attorney representing him or her is paid for by the insurance company. Most of the time, no one is expecting that the defendant will pay anything out of his or her own pocket.
Another question commonly asked by jurors is whether or not the plaintiff had health coverage to pay the bills. Many times a plaintiff will have some expenses paid for through medical insurance, but in today’s economy a lot of people have let their policies lapse. Also, the plaintiff generally has to repay the health benefit plan if money is awarded in the lawsuit.
The plaintiff typically has to pay the fee when a doctor is called to testify, which can cost anywhere from $5,000 to $15,000. Doctors charge these fees just to show up at court, because they are taking time away from their practices. When the defendant has a doctor testify, the cost is paid for by the insurer.
Once the jury reaches a verdict, it is very rare that the judge makes changes. Appeals do not happen often.
