In the city of San Luis Obispo, a defendant is the person against whom a lawsuit has been filed. The defendant is the person who will be attempting to prove that they were not at fault for an accident or, in the case of criminal court, did not commit a crime.
A defendant in a personal injury lawsuit may be a single person, multiple people, businesses, other entities or a combination of any of those. Who an attorney determines to name in a lawsuit depends on the nature of the injury and the facts surrounding the accident.
For example, if you are in a store and sustain an injury from a slip and fall, the store manager, the owner and the corporation that owns that store may be named. If you are a victim of medical malpractice, any medical professional who contributed to your injury may be named, along with the hospital and the corporation that owns the hospital.
When a person is injured in an accident, they will have several meetings with their attorney. It is during these meetings that an experienced attorney will determine the facts of the case and who should be named as a defendant. It is not unusual for some people to be named in the original lawsuit and then removed from it as the case proceeds.
If you have been injured in an accident due to someone’s negligence, you may have the legal grounds for a successful lawsuit. An attorney who practices personal or bodily injury law may be of assistance in determining who is at fault for your injury.
