How Witness Testimony Can Support Your Accident Claim
Brian O Sutter
Accident Lawyers
When the courts and claims adjusters are evaluating car accidents to determine who is at-fault for the incident, they are looking for strong and compelling evidence. One of the best forms of evidence you can present is eye-witness testimony. Eye-witness testimony is a first hand account of the details of an accident by a party that was present during the incident. This testimony is weighed with physical evidence by claims adjusters, mediators, and court officials to determine the truth of what happened.Why Witness Testimony Is Important
There are a couple of reasons why gathering testimony from witnesses following an accident is important for your case including:
● Witnesses are considered unbiased in an accident, so their testimony is valued by both sides of the case
● They can provide details you forgot or overlooked that support your case
● They can help investigators establish who was at fault for the accident
● They can add credibility to your claims
Witness testimony can often make or break an auto accident injury claim, so it’s very important that at the scene you try to collect as much witness information as possible if you are able to do so.
How To Collect Witness Statements
If you aren’t seriously injured and need to seek immediate medical attention, there are some ways to easily collect witness testimony at the scene. First, identify any witnesses to the accident and get their contact information. Witnesses can be the drivers and passengers of other cars, people who stopped to help, passersby, construction or utility workers, and people in buildings near the scene of the accident. Next ask them if they will make a statement about what happened. If they agree, you can collect their statement by writing it down or recording it with your smartphone. Keep in mind that police officers will also collect witness testimony, so make sure to always notify law enforcement following an accident.
After The Accident Is Cleaned Up
If you weren’t able to collect witness testimony at the scene because of an injury or none came forward at the time, you can still see if you can find any. You can return to the scene of the crime and ask around. Go into all the businesses in the areas or knock on the doors if in a residential neighborhood and ask them if they saw your accident. If they have, ask them if they are willing to make a statement. You should also look to see if there are any surveillance video cameras while you are there that may have captured the footage. Also, keep in mind that the claims adjusters for both of the insurance company will also be looking for witnesses to learn more about the accident. So even if you can’t collect them right away, you still may get testimony that supports your claim.
What To Do With Witness Statements
If you have witness statements collected, the best thing to do is to present them to your auto accident attorney. An experienced auto accident attorney will document the testimony, formalize their statements, and follow up with the witnesses for any further accounts. They will then present these statements in coordination with other evidence to the insurance companies to prove the validity of your claims. They will also ensure that all the witnesses are vetted for credibility, so their statements can’t be used against you.
The auto accidents attorneys at All Injuries Law Firm in Southwest Florida can help. Whether you have collected witness testimony or not, we’ll make sure that we put together a strong case backed with inarguable evidence for your claim. We’ll make sure that any testimony that is collected is not unfairly used against you by the insurance companies and fight to protect your rights to a fair settlement. Give us a call at 1-941-625-HURT to learn more.