Below is a sample deposition notice of the plaintiff. The items listed below are the type of things you can expect a defense lawyer to ask you to bring with you to your deposition.
JOHN Q. SMITH
Plaintiff,
ANY HOSPITAL USA
Defendant.
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR BALTIMORE CITY
CASE NO. 00-C-00-000000 MM
NOTICE TO TAKE DEPOSITION
Defendants, Any Hospital USA, by its attorneys, Sam Doe, pursuant to the Maryland Rules of Civil Procedure, will take the deposition upon oral examination of the below-named person on the date and time and at the location indicated below before a person duly authorized to administer an oath under Maryland law.
The deposition will be recorded via stenographic, audio, and/or videotaped means for the purpose of discovery and/or used as evidence and/or any other purposes permitted by the Maryland Rules of Civil Procedure, including use at trial, and will continue day to day until completed. The Deponent shall bring to the deposition the documents/things listed on “Schedule A” attached hereto.
Name: John Smith
Date: November 1, 2023
Place: Miller & Zois, LLC
1 South Street, Suite 2450
Baltimore, Maryland 21202
SCHEDULE “A”
TAKE NOTICE that on this day of November 1, 2024, at the Law Offices of Miller & Zois, commencing at 10:00 a.m., before a Notary Public, or some other officer duly authorized to administer oaths and take depositions, the undersigned, by counsel, will proceed to take the depositions of Catherine Trammel, upon oral examination. This deposition will be used for discovery or as evidence in this action under the Maryland Rules of Procedure. If this deposition is not completed on this day, the deposition will adjourn and will continue on another day until completed.
Thoughts for Plaintiffs’ Lawyers
Most lawyers look at the date on a deposition notice, put it on the calendar, and that is that. Then a big fight breaks deposition over the failure to produce the relevant documents.
What you should really do is immediately analyze the notice and figure out whether there are defects that you need to deal with before the deposition.
If the notice is defective or if the conditions for the deposition are not acceptable (defense lawyers, please do not note my client’s deposition for anywhere but my office), make a good faith effort with defense counsel to clear up the problem.
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