For the majority of personal injury claims, getting the full story is not always easy. Some people try to hide the details or spin the facts as time goes by. That’s why these claims get tricky at times. For this reason, if you have a witness, you should be sure to immediately get their description of what happened.
For example, if you’re in a car accident, a number of people that weren’t directly involved in the crash will most likely have noticed what happened. Witnesses to the accident and their third-party account could help support your claim. This is just one of many reasons why having independent witnesses is such an important factor in your case.
Determining Who the Witnesses Are
Of course, the first thing you should do after an accident is seek medical treatment if you are injured. Then talk with your witnesses. If you believe anyone may have seen what transpired, you will want to involve them in your claim immediately. Engage any witnesses as quickly as possible, and try to make them feel like they are a part of what happened. Use your best judgment.
How to Approach Witnesses:
- Politely introduce yourself.
- Ask if they saw what happened.
- Ask if they are willing to be a witness.
- If they agree, ask for their name, phone number, address and email.
- Ask if they will stay until the police arrive.
This isn’t an easy task by any means. In fact, it is very common for witnesses to be present, but then disappear or refuse to help. It’s a frustrating reality, but if more than one person witnessed your accident, you should attempt to speak to them too.
After that, your attorney will use the contact information you gathered to get in touch the witness. They will also want to get the witness to fill out a Witness Statement that you will then be able to send to the insurance adjustors.
Contact Our Experienced Personal Injury Attorneys
If you find yourself in the unfortunate predicament of being hurt by someone else’s actions, contact The Ticktin Law Group. We handle Personal Injury cases on a contingency basis, meaning you don’t pay us anything unless we collect money for you. To
see if you have a case, schedule a free consultation. Our experienced Personal Injury attorneys will go over the facts of your claim to help you get a much better idea of the steps to take. For a free consultation, call
(561) 232-2222 or
complete the contact form here.
