One of the possible ways to resolve a medical malpractice case in Maryland, may be a jury trial. A jury trial for this type of case is called a civil jury.
Many people have seen a jury on television even if they have not seen one in person. In Maryland a civil jury is comprised of 6 citizens. The first 6 people to volunteer for jury duty are not chosen. Jury selection is a process. The process begins with a venire.
The venire is a group of prospective jurors from citizens of a particular jurisdiction. In Maryland, it is each county or Baltimore City. The venire is called for jury duty. Each person is assigned a number and use that number to be identified by instead of their name.
The selection process begins with the prospective jurors being asked a series of questions. This is called voir dire. In many jurisdictions, attorneys stand before the panel and ask questions and elicit any follow up directly. However, in Maryland, attorneys submit a list of questions to the judge. The judge asks the questions on behalf of each side. Once all the questions have been asked, each side begins to take turns either selecting or excusing the prospects. Once six people have been chosen, the judge will have the attorneys repeat the selection portion for alternates.
Alternates are additional jurors who are not chosen for the initial panel. However, they are present and must attend all sessions of court just like the initial panel. The purpose of an alternate is if due to an emergency, one of the original six become unavailable, one of the alternates steps in. If no alternates are chosen, and an emergency arises, the case may have to start all over.
The jury will listen to the case and decide the outcome. They will listen to both opening statements, witness testimony and closing arguments. There may be some parts that the jury will not be privy to. At the conclusion of all evidence, the jury will then rule in favor of the plaintiff or the defendant. If they find the defendant breached the standard of care and injured the plaintiff, then they will have found in favor of the plaintiff. Often, these same jurors will decide how the plaintiff should be compensated for their loss.
This is just one avenue a case may take for resolution. The case could also resolve with a settlement or some other type of disposition. If you have already filed your medical malpractice case in Maryland, be sure to speak with your attorney about the best course for your matter.
If you have questions about your medical situation and you want to discuss one of the possible ways to resolve a medical malpractice case, as well as possible outcomes for the matter, feel free to give us a call at 301-850-4832. We pride ourselves on being able to assist people with being pointed in the right direction to get answers to their questions.
J. Renee Boston, Esq.
2 Wisconsin Circle, Suite 700
Chevy Chase, Maryland 20815
1-833-4 BABY HELP
