After a car accident, it can feel like a game of “he said, she said.” The other driver may be truly responsible for a car accident that caused you to become injured. However, with no evidence, you might be going back and forth between insurance companies saying the other party caused it while they say it wasn’t their fault. This is why it is so important to get information from witnesses. If someone witnessed the car accident that caused your injuries, they can provide valuable, first-hand knowledge regarding what they may have seen or heard. This can corroborate your story and make your claim stronger.
What should you do about witnesses at the car accident?
It can be easy to get in over your head when you are still at the car accident scene. Maybe you are trying to gather as much information as possible and you think you should ask as many questions of the witness as possible. However, the best thing you can do immediately following the accident is to get the witness’ information. You want to know you are asking the right questions. The witness may need time to gather their thoughts and even come to terms with what they just saw (the person who witnessed the car accident may have experienced some trauma from seeing the accident happen, too).
Who should talk to the witness?
This is one of the times when it will be very helpful to have a lawyer, according to a car accident lawyer from MartinWren, P.C. Your lawyer will be able to have a list of questions that will establish their credibility and show how they are beneficial to your insurance claim. Your lawyer may ask the witness questions like:
- What was the witness doing when they were arriving on the scene?
- What caused them to notice the accident about to happen or happening?
- How did they experience the accident? Did they see it or hear it?
- How far away was the witness?
- Did the witness have a direct, clear view of the accident happening or was their field of vision interrupted?
These are just a few of the questions your lawyer may ask when getting information from the witness that may help with your claim.
Your lawyer will also want to know more open-ended questions and may wish for the witness to discuss the scene of the accident and describe the location. This may include information about the traffic lights, the weather conditions, and whether there might have been obstacles in the road at the time the accident occurred.
Should you try to get information from witnesses on your own?
It can be helpful to have a lawyer by your side when you want to get information from witnesses who saw the accident happen. Your lawyer will understand what kinds of questions to ask and what direction to go in when it comes to learning more about what they saw. If you are ready to move forward with your car accident claim, reach out to a trusted law firm near you today.