Michael A. Schafer Blog

Car Accident Courts

If you are in an car accident and because of various circumstances you may find yourself having to go to court.  For many that can be  frightening and daunting.  A small percentage of the population are comfortable in the court system.  These are the folks that work there daily and are familiar with the processes.  Most are not familiar or comfortable with all of the intricacies of the judicial system.

There are different levels in the Kentucky court system.  The appellate level houses the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals.  Trial Courts include Circuit Court and District Court.  Family Court is a division of Circuit Court. There also Specialty Courts which can be divisions of either Circuit or District Court.  These Specialty Courts are Small Claims Court, Juvenile Court, which are divisions of District Court.  In juvenile cases where the offenses are serious felonies the juvenile can be tried as an adult.  If convicted they will serve their time in a juvenile facility until they are old enough to be transferred to an adult facility.  Another Specialty Court is Drug Court which is a division of both Circuit and District Court.

When you are involved in a lawsuit as a result of an accident you will be either in Circuit Court or District Court.  The amount in dispute has to be more than $4,000.00 to fall in Circuit Court.  Less than $4,000.00 will fall in District Court.  If the amount is $1,500.00 or less you can take your accident case to Small Claims Court.  Small Claims is less formal and less expensive.  Also, parties involved in Small Claims actions are allowed to represent themselves without an attorney.

One of the first things I go over when meeting a client for the first time is an overview of the court system.  This helps de-mystify the process for my clients.  One less worry for them.  For more information on me go to www.mikeschaferlaw.com.

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