The Importance of Eyewitnesses in a Personal Injury Case

When you have suffered an injury because of someone else’s mistake, you have to move quickly if you want to pursue a personal injury claim. The more evidence you have on your side, the more likely it is that you’ll be able to secure a fair settlement. One type of evidence you should seek out is eyewitness testimony. A neutral third party’s input can be incredibly valuable when it’s time to negotiate with the other party’s insurance provider.

Let us guide you through the process of seeking fair and full compensation. Call Haygood, Cleveland, Pierce, Thompson & Short at 334-560-1936 to schedule a consultation with our team of Auburn personal injury lawyers.

Eyewitnesses Can Create a Stronger Case

When it comes to personal injury claims, there are often significant discrepancies between the involved parties’ stories. While physical evidence can help clear up some of these issues and prove who is telling the truth, that isn’t always the case. When there’s a lack of physical evidence—or if the physical evidence is unclear—an eyewitness can provide clarity. Their firsthand accounts of the accident leading to your injuries can provide insurance companies with the information they need to determine fault.

While friends or family members of the injured may provide testimony if they were there when the accident occurred, the best testimony often comes from completely uninvolved third parties. Their neutrality adds to their credibility and makes it harder for insurance companies to poke holes in their claims.

Insights Provided by Eyewitnesses

Eyewitnesses can provide insight in a variety of areas. They may be able to comment on the circumstances surrounding the accident, such as what happened prior and what specific actions they observed. Consider a car accident; if an eyewitness can confirm that the victim had the right of way and that the other driver appeared to be on their phone as they passed, that information could be incredibly useful to the victim.

They may also be able to talk about the weather, road conditions, and other relevant circumstances of the accident. This may help establish fault in a car accident claim. In a slip and fall case, for example, they may be able to testify that they heard two people tell employees about a spill on the floor prior to the victim’s fall. They could also talk about the lighting of the store and whether or not the victim would have been able to see the spill.

Time is of the Essence

While you don’t want to rush through your claim, you also don’t want to take your time and lose valuable evidence. The sooner you secure eyewitness testimony, the stronger it is. The human memory is very easily influenced, and the details of the incident will start slipping away as soon as the person leaves the scene.

If you wait weeks or months to contact them, it’s likely that they’ll barely remember what happened. You should retain a personal injury lawyer promptly after your accident and provide them with contact information for your eyewitnesses. This allows them to use the evidence in the best possible way for your case.

How to Find Eyewitnesses

The best way to find eyewitnesses is to connect with them at the scene of the incident. This ensures that you are only talking to people with firsthand knowledge of the incident. It’s also the best use of your time. Unfortunately, this isn’t always possible. If you have surveillance footage of the area around the accident, you may be able to identify potential eyewitnesses and contact them.

If your accident occurred in a busy area, you may be able to reach out to local businesses or homeowners. If anyone was near the scene when your accident occurred, they may be able to help you with eyewitness testimony.

Choose Haygood, Cleveland, Pierce, Thompson & Short for Your Personal Injury Claim

If you or someone you love has been hurt in an accident, don’t wait a moment longer to talk to a lawyer about your legal options. Let’s discuss your accident and whether or not you can pursue compensation. Set up a consultation now by calling us at 334-560-1936 or filling out our online contact form.