The Importance of Eyewitnesses in a Car Accident
In the aftermath of an injury accident, eyewitnesses can provide a valuable service to law enforcement and those involved in the crash. If they are willing to give a statement about what they saw, their objective, third-party account of what happened could be crucial evidence if those who were injured need to file a personal injury claim.
Here, we’ll discuss who could be a witness and how vital their statements can be if you’ve been injured in a Montgomery car accident.
Who Can Be a Witness?
Any person at or near the collision site when the crash occurred could potentially be an eyewitness in a car accident case. Examples of individuals who might be called as witnesses include:
- Nearby residents or business owners
- Occupants of other vehicles, including passengers or other drivers
- Bystanders
- Anyone who stopped to assist at the scene of the crash
While the drivers and passengers of the vehicles that were involved in the crash will likely provide witness testimony in a car collision claim, their testimony may not be considered as reliable as the testimony of third parties since the occupants of the vehicles involved in the crash have a financial interest in the outcome of the case.
The Importance of Witnesses
Neutral, third-party eyewitness testimony can prove critical in a car crash claim. Because they do not have a vested interest in the case, their testimony is often considered more reliable than that of the occupants of the cars involved in the collision. Third-party witnesses often provide a unique perspective of what happened in the collision, which means they can often provide details about the crash that were not observed by those involved in the crash.
Neutral, reliable witnesses can help resolve a car crash claim by settling any “you said, they said” disputes between the parties when the eyewitness’s testimony corroborates one of the parties’ versions of events.
How Witness Statements Could Be Used against You
While you might have eyewitnesses who corroborate your story from the collision, the other driver or drivers may have other eyewitnesses from the scene who will offer contrary testimony. Additionally, your own witnesses may end up being used against you to hurt the credibility of your claim.
For example, if your witnesses are no longer confident in what they saw, have inconsistencies in their testimony, or change their story to support the other side’s version of events during deposition or cross-examination at trial, that can seriously impact the reliability of those witnesses. If you don’t have reliable eyewitness testimony to support your case but the other party does, it could be challenging to recover compensation.
Contact Serious Injury Law Group Today
If you were injured in a car crash, reach out to the Birmingham accident attorneys of Serious Injury Law Group today. Our locally owned firm consists of serious injury lawyers who are ready to fight for you. Contact us for a free, no-obligation consultation to discuss your legal options following a car crash.