The Witnesses can Help Your Car Accident Lawsuit

Ideally every vehicle would be equipped with a bunch of cameras that can be reviewed to determine exactly what happened.  We’re getting there, but the technology isn’t included in all vehicles yet.

For the time being, we rely on witnesses to give an account of what they saw happen, and how it all went down.

These car accident witnesses, however, often don’t know which information is important.  So we should ask probing questions to get the right information from them.

Ask Your Car Accident Witness What they Saw

Everyone’s account of the wreck will vary slightly; it’s just how we as humans analyze information.  Just ask the witnesses to describe, in their own words, what they saw.

Try not to lead them with sentences such as, “What did you see happen before that vehicle hit mine?” or “What’s your account of me being the victim of this wreck?”

If possible, ask their permission to voice record their account.  If not, ask them to write down what happened.

Ask Your Car Accident Witness if they Saw the Entire Wreck

It’s very important to know how much of the accident was witnessed.  Their account will be very different if they saw the entire thing, or if they turned their head to look when they heard the sound.

Likewise, make sure to note if they saw the collision, or if their view was partially obstructed.

Ask Your Car Accident Witness Where they Were

This is important to go in conjunction with the previous question.

Knowing what angle the witness saw the wreck from can tell an entirely different story.  Even to the point where the at-fault driver might look like the victim and the victim could look like the at-fault driver.

Ask Your Car Accident Witness if they Noticed other Witnesses

Because everyone will have a slightly different account of what happened in the wreck, and different angles and obstructions can lead to better or worse views, it’s important to get many different witnesses to provide their account of what happened.

Often people won’t want to stick around at the scene of an accident.  So make sure that you ask this question quickly enough so you can track down the other witnesses before they leave.

Get Help from Herbert Law Group for your Car Accident Claim

Before your questions to the witnesses are done, make sure they know they should give a statement with the police as well.  You have their account, but the police can put that into their official report.

And remember, before you start dealing with the insurance companies; talk with a Dallas, Texas car accident lawyer.  The insurance company will often try to settle for far less than you need to fully recover from the accident.

Give us a call at 214-414-3808, or fill out the contact form on our website, and we’ll be in touch.  Don’t worry, it’s a free call to get to know you and understand exactly how we can help you in this troubling time.