If you suffered injuries in a car accident or slip and fall accident at work, witnesses are valuable evidence to have for your case. Witnesses can support your claim and confirm the details of your case with the insurance company if the other party tries to deny your claim. Many different people can serve as witnesses to an accident, but time is of the essence after an accident. Filing a police report right after the incident is the best way to ensure that details of the accident are protected, and your witness' account is as accurate as possible.
In this FAQ, we are going to discuss who can serve as a witness to your accident, what information you need to collect from witnesses, and how a witness can help with your case. If you suffered catastrophic injuries because of another person's negligence, and you need help tracking down witnesses to the accident, or have another question about your case, call our personal injury lawyers in St. Louis at 314-542-2222 or 618-272-2222. We don't charge any fees for our consultations, and we never ask for any attorneys fees unless we win your personal injury claim.
Types of Witnesses That Can Testify for Your Case
Witnesses are perhaps the most useful piece of evidence when it comes to personal injury claims. If you were involved in a car accident, witnesses can confirm who they saw cause the accident and offer other details from the accident that you might not have noticed.
After an accident, it's essential to get the contact information of anyone that saw the accident happen. Police reports typically contain several witnesses and statements, but going back to the scene of the accident, and any surrounding homes or businesses, can sometimes recover additional evidence that could be useful to your personal injury case.
If you can locate witnesses to the accident, whether via the police report or going back to the scene of the accident, it's essential to take the following precautions:
- Get their name, phone number, address, and other contact information
- If they haven't already, ask if they'd be willing to give a statement to the police
- Ask if they would be willing to go on record with the insurance company about the accident
- If they aren't comfortable talking to the police or insurance company, get them to confirm the details you have about the accident and obtain their signature
You might be wondering, "what if a witness is someone I already know?" As long as your friend, family member, or coworker can give an unbiased account to the insurance company on your behalf, people you know can be great witnesses to an accident, as you already have their contact information and know that they'll give an honest account of what happened because they care about the well-being of your case.
How Can Witnesses Help My Case?
In the wake of an accident, it can be challenging to keep track of all the details of your case. A personal injury lawyer in St. Louis can make sure that you have adequate evidence from the scene of the accident and has access to many different resources that ensure that you can track down all possible witnesses to the accident. Without a witness report of the accident, the other party's insurer might attempt to deny your claim. Witnesses confirm that the details of your accident are true and increase the odds of having your insurance claim accepted.
If you have been injured because of another person's negligence, and need help locating witnesses to the accident, of have questions about the claims process, the attorneys at Burger Law can help. Call or contact our Personal Injury Lawyers in St. Louis at 314-542-2222 or 618-272-2222. We don't charge any fees for our consultations, and we never ask for attorney fees unless we win compensation for your claim.