What Your Legal Advisor Wants You to Know About Witnesses for Your Vehicle Crash Claim

If you're involved in a car crash, there are several steps you must take to protect your legal rights and get your rightful compensation. For instance, you need to gather as much information as possible about the crash to enable you to file a strong claim. Additionally, you should talk to eyewitnesses and request them to testify for you. 

However, not everyone qualifies to testify as an eyewitness in a vehicle crash lawsuit. Therefore, it is important that you consult an auto accident attorney to advise on who you should pick. As such, your legal advisor will guide you and advise you in the following:

How to Get Information from Potential Witnesses

There are effective and appropriate ways to approach witnesses and get information from them. Particularly, it would be best if you approached them calmly and respectfully. Doing this puts them at ease, making them feel less intimidated and enabling them to share information about the accident. In addition, such an approach can make them more willing to cooperate throughout the case.

After approaching several people to testify as your eyewitnesses, request them to write everything they saw or heard. Their statements should include a chronology of events for the time leading up to the collision, during the wreck, and immediately afterward. They can each write these statements themselves, or you can do it on their behalf. Your witnesses also have the option of recording their statements on video. However, they must provide their names as well as contact information in the recording.

Statements from other parties involved in the collision can also be useful. As such, your attorney might ask that you talk to other drivers and passengers, noting what they think led to the crash. This might help you get essential information that could strengthen your lawsuit. For example, the at-fault party might admit that they took their attention from the road, causing their vehicle to swerve and collide with yours.

People You Should Consider As Your Witnesses

Your witnesses are supposed to strengthen your case by bolstering your testimony or providing essential details you could have missed. Therefore, you should get people who will not provide unreliable information or have questionable character. Your legal advisor evaluates all your witnesses to ensure they qualify to testify in court and have useful information. In addition, the attorney will ensure that none of your witnesses have a criminal record or have ever provided false information to law enforcers. Those testifying on your behalf should also provide consistent details of the accident.

Witness testimonies can provide essential information proving that the defendant was fully responsible for the collision. However, you must ensure that all your witnesses are credible and have enough information about the collision. Therefore, it is prudent to work with a car accident attorney to ensure that your witnesses are helpful to your case.


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