HurtCallMax · Alberta injury resources
Questioning, sometimes called examination for discovery, is part of preparing a civil case. Your lawyer should explain its purpose, what to bring and the procedure that applies to your proceeding.
Prepare the record with your lawyer
Review the relevant chronology and documents with the lawyer handling your case. Identify gaps or errors early. Preparation means understanding your own evidence, not memorizing a script or deciding what answer sounds strongest.
The Canadian Judicial Council’s Civil Law Handbook explains disclosure and discovery in general terms. Alberta rules and directions govern the actual process; a general handbook does not replace instructions for your case.
Practical preparations
- Confirm the time, location or remote connection details.
- Raise interpreter, disability, medication, fatigue or break needs in advance.
- Ask which documents you may have with you and how they should be organized.
- Tell your lawyer about relevant records you have not yet supplied.
- Preserve original documents and messages; do not delete or rewrite them.
Answer from your own knowledge
Listen to the question, take time to understand it and ask for clarification when necessary. Distinguish what you remember from an estimate, an assumption or information from someone else. If you do not know or remember something, say so accurately.
Your lawyer can address objections and procedural issues. If you realize an answer was wrong or incomplete, tell your lawyer promptly so they can advise on correcting the record.
After the session
Discuss any promised information or documents and the dates for providing them. Keep track of outstanding tasks. The length of a case and whether it resolves through negotiation, mediation or trial cannot be predicted from a generic percentage or timeline.
Topics to review without rehearsing answers
- Your earlier health and activities: prior injuries, treatment, work duties and relevant restrictions. Give your lawyer the history, including matters you think may complicate the case.
- The incident: what you personally saw, heard and did, and what you learned afterward from someone else. Identify where your memory is incomplete.
- Treatment and recovery: providers, appointments, recommendations and changes in symptoms. A dated list can reveal an error or missing record before the session.
- Work and income: tasks before the injury, time missed, modified duties and relevant earnings records. Explain the facts instead of guessing at a future earning capacity.
- Daily activities: household work, driving, sleep, recreation and assistance from others. Describe both difficulty and activities you can still do.
- Documents and online material: messages, photographs, calendars and relevant social posts. Ask your lawyer what must be preserved or disclosed; deleting inconvenient material is not preparation.
Questions that need clarification
A question can contain an incorrect date, two different assumptions or an unfamiliar term. Explain what you do not understand rather than agreeing to an account that is not yours. If an answer needs context, make that clear; neither exaggerate a limitation nor minimize a genuine problem to be polite.
Tell your lawyer about pain, fatigue, medication or communication difficulties that may affect participation. Discuss breaks and accommodations in advance where possible. There is no standard session length on which every injured person should plan.
Keep track of follow-up requests
When further information or records are requested, clarify with your lawyer exactly what is needed, who will obtain it and any date for completion. Keep a copy of what you provide. An outstanding request is different from a document you do not possess, and your lawyer should explain how each is addressed.
Ask whether there are corrections to review, further examinations, settlement discussions or court steps ahead. Completing questioning does not itself establish a settlement amount or guarantee when the case will end.
Content update — September 27, 2026
Unverified mediation, trial and resolution-time percentages have been removed. Preparation steps remain, with a primary court-resource link.