How Can Witness Statements Add Value To Your Personal Injury Claim After A Car Accident?
Posted on: 5 August 2022
If you are filing a personal injury claim after a car accident, witnesses to the accident can add immense value to your case. Even if you are the injured party in the crash, the insurance company may try to lower your compensation. Witness statements can confirm liability, solidify your case, and help you get the right amount of compensation for your injuries. With this in mind, check out these four ways witness statements can help your personal injury case.
Provide Unbiased Testimonies
Eyewitnesses are neutral parties in a personal injury claim, especially those unrelated to you. Witnesses are mere observers with no stake in the case's outcome. Thus, they will provide unbiased accounts of the events leading up to the accident. Even if the witnesses are related to you, their statements can still add value to your case. However, you need to overcome any accusations of bias made by the at-fault party's insurer.
Corroborate Your Statement
Sometimes disputes arise between two parties involved in a car accident. Where your statement conflicts with that of the other driver, you need a third party to corroborate the facts. An eyewitness can help clear doubt and validate your statement as outlined in the police report. For example, in a rear-end collision, the rear driver may claim that they kept a safe distance from you. If this statement isn't true, an unbiased third party can refute it and support your claim.
Provide New Information on the Crash
Car accidents happen in the blink of an eye. Car crash victims may miss crucial information or lack proper recollection of what led to the accident. In this case, eyewitnesses can provide new information you may have missed that could help pin liability on the at-fault driver. For example, an eyewitness may have observed:
- The approximate distance the driver kept during a rear-end collision
- How the accident occurred
- The state of your injuries immediately after the crash
This information can shed light on the events of the accident, solidify your case, and help you seek the rightful compensation.
Supply Professional Evidence
A personal injury case has two types of witnesses: eyewitnesses and expert witnesses. Eyewitnesses provide accounts of the actual car crash. Expert witnesses are professionals who can supply evidence in their area of expertise. For example, an accident reconstruction expert can reconstruct the crash in great detail and determine the at-fault party. A medical expert can testify to the extent of physical and psychological injuries, allowing you to seek accurate damages.
Gathering and validating witnesses for your personal injury claim can be long and tedious. This is why you need a professional to track down and prepare witnesses for your case. Therefore, consult a personal injury attorney immediately after your car accident.
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