Four Vital Things About Your Auto Accident Witnesses
If you are pursuing a car accident claim, one of the best ways you can strengthen your case is to find a credible witness who can support your position. You need to get the contacts of as many witnesses as possible because you don't know which of them will have a useful testimony. Here are some of the things about your potential witnesses that will determine whether their testimony useful:
When They Arrived At the Scene
This will determine, among other things, if the witness arrived at the scene in time to witness the actual accident. For example, a witness who arrives on the scene of a slip and fall accident and sees your high-heeled shoes may assume that the shoes are the cause of your accident. However, a witness who was actually at the scene before the accident can testify that it was the toys on the floor that caused your accident.
Where They Were Coming From and Where They Were Going
This is important because it determines both the direction of travel and the mindset of the witness at the time of the accident. For example, if you are in a parking lot and hear a loud bang behind you, you cannot tell exactly how the accident occurred when you turn around and sees a rear-end accident. Maybe the car in front backed into the one in the rear or the car at the rear crashed into the one in the front.
Where They Were Looking At Around the Accident Time
Just because a witness was at an accident scene, it doesn't mean that they witnessed the actual accident. Maybe they were looking at your phone, admiring the fluffy clouds in the sky or were just lost in thought and were not looking at anything specific. The lawyer handling the accident claim will need to establish this clearly.
How Far They Were From the Accident Scene
Lastly, the lawyer will also need to know how far the witness was from the actual accident. Things get distorted with distance and a witness who is far from an accident scene may have a less reliable testimony of the accident than another witness who is closer to the scene of the accident.
This is one of the reasons you need an auto accident attorney; the attorney will evaluate your witnesses and determine whether they can contribute to the case. It also underscores the need for getting witnesses' contacts after a crash.
