How Can Witness Statements Strengthen a Car Accident Case?

As an accident victim, you need proof that another driver or someone else caused a Missouri car accident to recover compensation for your injuries.

Witness statements from car accident victims can make a significant difference in personal injury cases by providing a neutral perspective on the events leading up to the crash. Witness testimony could offer an independent perspective on critical details when the involved parties provide conflicting accounts. For example, a witness’s observations could provide compelling evidence about which driver disobeyed the traffic signal.

However, eyewitness accounts could also work in favor of the other driver or their insurer, so make sure you seek legal help to give yourself the best chance of winning your case.

How Eyewitness Testimony Can Help Prove Fault

Witness testimony in car crash claims can provide powerful evidence in your favor during a personal injury claim. While insurance companies consider your account of the crash, they may be skeptical because they do not want to pay you full compensation. A credible witness in a car accident case can provide an unbiased account of the crash, which can help with proving liability.

For example, suppose a distracted driver injured you because they were texting when the crash happened. If someone else saw the driver looking at their phone before the collision, their account lends legal credibility to your arguments, giving you a better chance of recovering compensation.

How Insurance Companies Use Witness Statements

Compelling witness statements can help with proving fault for a car accident, but insurance companies can also use them against you. For instance, consistency is crucial in eyewitness accounts. If an insurer notices any discrepancies in an eyewitness’s account, the company could use those differences to undercut the witness’s credibility.

Furthermore, the other driver and their insurer might have their own eyewitnesses whose testimony counters your arguments. If that happens, you and your lawyer must find solid proof to undercut the testimony or look for any weak points or inconsistencies in the insurer’s witness’s testimony.

Could a Witness Statement Help You Avoid Court?

While trials are sometimes necessary to recover compensation for a car accident, they are time-consuming, expensive, and unpredictable. It is worth exploring every possible angle to avoid a trial.

A witness account of a car accident could help you avoid court by providing additional evidence of another driver’s careless or dangerous behavior. If the witness’s testimony is credible and supports other proof your legal team has gathered, the other driver and their insurer might offer you a settlement to avoid the risk and expense of a trial.

Tips for Collecting Statements After an Accident

Here are some suggestions for gathering helpful witness statements after a Missouri car accident:

• Act quickly. Identify potential witnesses before they leave the accident scene, whenever possible.
• Be polite and respectful. A calm approach makes people more willing to lend a hand.
• Ask for contact details. Get each witness’s full name, phone number, and email address. Having multiple ways to contact someone makes it easier to reach them later.
• Write down what they saw. Take notes or ask them to give a brief written statement. Consider using your cellphone to record a short statement.
• Take photos of them (with permission). Pictures can help you and your lawyer identify witnesses later if needed.

Talk to Our Car Accident Lawyers Now for Help Building Your Claim

Sumner Law Group, LLC, has the experience and proven results to help you find credible witnesses for your car accident claim. We also have extensive experience countering the arguments of insurance companies and their witnesses’ version of events.

Call now or complete our contact form for a free consultation.