Is the Witness to Your Car Accident Reliable?

When you have been in an accident that was not your fault there are certain steps you must take to help you compile the documentation for a strong case when you move to pursue a personal injury claim. Obtaining a police report, taking pictures, writing down the details fo the accident, and obtaining witness statements are a couple of those steps. Some of the most helpful pieces of documentation include corroboration of your accident as experienced by others. 

Witness testimony can provide strong and beneficial backing to your case and help you increase your chances of not only having a successful case but one that yields a high amount of compensation. People can be fickle, and unfortunately many are not reliable. When a witness falters, their credibility can be challenged and that will not help your case. So how can you determine if a witness you have is reliable? The first consideration is to talk to an experienced Arizona personal injury attorney with ELG. We can look at the information you have and provide you feedback as to the strength of your witness.

Connecting With Witnesses

Many accidents happen out in the open around others. If your accident also takes place in a public environment and others saw what happened, it is important to approach them and ask them if they would be willing to provide a statement. It is ok to give a witness time and space after they have witnessed an accident. They don’t necessarily have to provide a statement at the scene of the crime. You can ask if they would provide you with their contact information, email address, phone number, first and last name, so you could contact them to provide their testimony at a later date. 

The important thing to know is that the majority of people who witness an accident want to help and they want to make sure that justice is served. They want to ensure the party who was wronged and victimized has the support and obtains a fair outcome. Don’t feel awkward or embarrassed to speak to witnesses to your accident. Obtaining feedback from these individuals can mean the difference in the success and strength of your case.

Determining Credibility

There are certain qualities individuals may have that won’t make their testimony valuable for your case. These are things that an experienced Phoenix personal injury attorney will know and be able to find out when they contact the witnesses to determine if their testimony is useable. Some of the characteristics and traits that will need to be considered in a witness include:

• Mental and physical limitations that will be problematic to their ability to accurately recall the details of an accident coherently. An example would be an individual who has very poor eyesight and hearing may not be a prime witness for credible testimony. This individual could be argued to have an inability to provide a clear account of the accident’s details due to their limitations.
• Past criminal history brings up questions of honesty and trust. One with a checkered past will have questions of intent and believability and a personal injury lawyer will be likely not to use this type of individual’s account of your accident.
• Inconsistencies with their story. An individual who can’t produce regular and dependable information will not be one who is regarded as reliable. The truth doesn’t vary too much and a story that has too many changes isn’t likely to be believed.

Arizona Personal Injury Attorneys 

The Phoenix serious injury attorneys at ELG are well-known and well-respected throughout the state of Arizona for our proven track record of success defending victims who suffered personal injuries. Call us today to speak with one of our aggressive Arizona serious injury accident attorneys during a free consultation at (623) 877-3600. We have offices conveniently located in both Mesa and Pheonix.