Below are three sample trial transcripts from car accident lawsuits. The first trial transcript is an ankle fracture lawsuit. This case was added in 2023. We have made the format very easy to read.
The second is a herniated disc claim with a liability dispute case. The jury gave the plaintiff more than both insurance policies. The defendants ultimately paid more than the verdict after quitting on the appeal and allowing post-judgment interest to accumulate.
- Example opening statements
- Example closing statements
- Example direct examinations
- Example cross examinations
We have the court transcripts from all five days of trial:
This trial is presented to you in its entirety in the format in which we get these. (These are big files so give them a few moments to give each trial transcript a chance to load.)
The third trial is broken up so you can more easily look at the pieces. This case is a stipulated verdict in the case so there is no damages/harm testimony. The case deals solely with the question of who was negligent in the car accident.
The plaintiff alleged that a tanker-trailer carrying fuel oil cut him off in traffic, causing him to swerve into the adjacent lane, where he was struck from the rear by another vehicle. He filed suit against the owner of the tanker truck and the driver of the vehicle that struck him from the rear.
The defendants claimed that the plaintiff was responsible for the car accident. The case was tried on the issue of liability only, pursuant to a stipulated verdict agreement.
We like this case as a sample trial transcript because all three lawyers involved in the case are good, experienced, attorneys and the issues are well developed but simple. So the reader gets a full range of what happens at trial.
You can read the full trial transcript or break it out into individual pieces (if you open the full trial transcript, it is fairly large and may take a few moments to open).
If you want to look at specific pieces of a trial, we have transcripts for that as well, mostly in medical malpractice and motor vehicle accident cases:
- Sample opening statements
- Sample closing statements
- Sample direct examinations
- Sample cross-examinations
For more sample trial transcripts and witness outlines, click here.
- Jury Selection 1-31
- Stipulations 32-33
- Plaintiff’s Opening Statement 33-40
- Defendant #1 Opening Statement 40-43
- Defendant #2 Opening Statement 43-52
- Plaintiff’s Direct Examination 53-82
- Defendant #1 Cross-Examination 83-85
- Defendant #2 Cross-Examination 85-101
- Plaintiff’s Redirect 101-104
- Defendant #1 Re-Cross Examination 101
- Defendant #2 Re-Cross Examination 101-105
- Defendant’s “Direct” Examination (hostile witness) 105-111
- Defendant’s Cross-Examination 111-114
- Defendant’s Redirect 114
- Defendant’s Motion for Judgment 115-118
- Defendant’s Direct Examination 118-121
- Defendant #2 Cross-Examination 121-136
- Plaintiff’s Cross-Examination of Defendant 136-138
- Bench Conference and Jury Instructions 138-150
- Plaintiff’s Closing Argument 150-163
- Defendant #1 Closing Argument 163-165
- Defendant #2 Closing Argument 165-173
- Plaintiff’s Rebuttal 173-181
- Jury Charge, Verdict, Post-Verdict Bench Conference 181-189
- More Actual Trial Testimony: samples of other trial testimony and other trial materials for lawyers and students preparing for moot court)
- Four Examples of Settlement Demand Letters
- How Much Should I Get For My Claim?
- Attorney Help Center (lawyers’ guide to handling personal injury cases with sample pleadings, interrogatories, and other trial preparation samples)
- Scopes trial and Patty Hearst trial transcripts