Why You Should Gather Eyewitness Testimony at the Scene of An Auto Accident

There’s no shortage of things to do at the scene of a car accident. From exchanging contact information with the other driver to taking pictures of your injuries, forgetting even one task on your list could put your personal injury claim at risk. However, there’s one task you definitely don’t want to skip: talking to eyewitnesses and getting their contact information.

Learn more about the benefits of eyewitness testimony and why you should take the time to talk to people at the accident scene. When you’re ready to move forward with your claim, we’re here to talk. Call Olmstead & Olmstead at 703-361-1555 to set up a meeting time.

Your Own Statement Just Isn’t Enough

When you talk to your lawyer and your own insurance company, you can feel pretty confident that your words will be trusted. The same isn’t true when your attorney gets in contact with the other party’s insurance company. They will do everything they can to poke holes in your story and look for any evidence that you are lying. This gives them leverage to decrease the value of your settlement or avoid paying you a settlement at all.

The words of eyewitness testimony can help the other party’s insurance company take your statement more seriously. In general, the more evidence you have to support your claim, the harder it is for the insurance company to avoid a fair payout.

They May Have Additional Details

There’s only so much information you can take in when you’re in the middle of an accident. However, those gaps in your memory and the information you can’t fill in make your claim weaker. The more different viewpoints you have, the better understanding you have of your accident.

Your attorney knows how to use this information to help your case. It’s important to talk to eyewitnesses as soon as possible after an accident to get their memories while they’re fresh. The longer you wait to connect with them, the less they are likely to remember. On top of that, what they do remember may or may not be accurate.

They Can Verify Your Claim and Provide Context

Again, anything that backs up your story and what you experienced during the accident is helpful to your personal injury claim. Additionally, the information they provide may actually give more context to what happened to you. Imagine an accident caused by a driver who swerved into your lane without checking their blind spot. As a result, they destroyed the front end of your car and injured your front seat passenger.

If an eyewitness stops and tells you that they saw that same driver swerving dangerously in and out of traffic for the last mile, that is very helpful information. Not only does it back up your story of how the accident happened, but it also shows that the other driver is an inherently risky and reckless driver.

Make Sure to Get Contact Information at the Scene of the Accident

Not only is it important to get an eyewitness’s statement, but it’s also important to get their contact information before you leave the scene of the accident. City-based groups on Facebook are littered with people posting about their accidents and asking for eyewitnesses to come forward to help them with what they saw.

This is a very ineffective way of reaching people, and on top of that, there’s no way of verifying that the people you connect with actually saw your accident. The insurance company knows this, and if they don’t have proof that the eyewitness was there they will take their statements with a grain of salt. It only takes a few seconds to get someone’s contact information after a collision, so make it a priority.

Looking for Help with Your Claim? Call Olmstead & Olmstead

The stress that comes with a car accident can be just as bad as the accident itself. That’s why it’s so important to find a car accident lawyer you can trust to handle your personal injury claim. While you focus on getting the rest and recovery you need, we’ll handle the insurance company and fight for the compensation you deserve. Schedule your consultation now by calling us at 703-361-1555 or sending us a message online.

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