Do I Need Witnesses for My Personal Injury Claim?
A witness to your accident can be an integral part of your personal injury claim. They can support your side of the story and corroborate evidence with their testimony that will sway the case in your favor. There are two key types of witnesses you’ll want to use in your case: eyewitness accounts and expert witnesses. Keep reading to find out how they can help you with your personal injury case.
Witness to the Accident
First-hand accounts of your accident can be crucial to your case. A friend who’s seen how your accident has affected your daily life can help prove that the accident has caused chronic pain and suffering. Or maybe a dog walker saw your accident also witnessed the other driver looking at his phone when there’s a question of who’s at fault in a car accident. It’s important to get a statement from any and all witnesses to your accident as quickly as possible. Memory is malleable and the further from the accident, the less trustworthy your witness’s testimony may get. Return to the scene of the accident if you can and speak to people who live or work in the area, or check the police report if one exists to get the names and addresses of witnesses the police spoke to.
Expert Witnesses
While the testimony of eyewitnesses is important to a case, so are expert witnesses who have the knowledge and training that can strengthen your case with their expertise. These expert witnesses have insight beyond the common knowledge that a judge or jury may have. Your lawyer can call on a medical specialist to testify about how a slipped disc as the result of a workplace fall may cause serious chronic pain and disability for the rest of your life. Or perhaps they hire an expert who reconstructs accidents to accurately answer questions about how your injuries were sustained when no other eyewitnesses were there to see them. Even an economic expert can be called upon to explain the financial toll your accident will cause you throughout your life.
Be aware that expert witnesses come with higher costs and may not be necessary for straightforward cases. But if your case is complex and the defendant is throwing the blame on you, your lawyer may recommend hiring some to provide clear technical explanations that are difficult to refute.
Witness testimony can be one of the most complicated pieces of evidence you’ll need to collect, but worth it if there’s any doubt about who is at fault. If you believe you may have a cause for a personal injury lawsuit, set up a consultation with a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible.