One of the most essential ingredients to the success or failure of any case is witness testimony. In many accident cases, it’s one driver’s word against another’s, which can make it difficult to determine exactly what happened.
As a result, the witness account of a third party may be the piece of evidence that helps you win your case. To learn more about how witness testimony can affect your car accident case, read below, or contact Pope & Howard’s experienced car accident attorneys today to talk about your case. Our team specializes in getting victims in car and truck accidents just compensation for serious and catastrophic injuries.
If you’ve been in an accident that you believe occurred due to no fault of your own, it’s important to try and find a third-party witness. While a passenger in either vehicle is technically a witness, his or her account could be considered biased and might not hold much value in court.
That’s why it’s important to get an account from someone with no involvement whatsoever. In the event of an accident, after you call the police, scour the surrounding area for someone who may have seen the accident (if you are safely able to do so).
If the bystander saw the crash and is willing to be a witness, try recording a statement on your phone as proof of their testimony. Be sure to get their name and contact information as well so that lawyers and the police can follow up in case a court appearance is necessary.
Once the police arrive, let them know you have a witness to back up your story and explain in detail what happened. Remember, if the accident isn’t your fault, the more witnesses — the better. If you are at fault for the accident, however, a witness account could backfire on you.
If you’re involved in a car accident, regardless of who is at fault, immediately call the police. Aside from checking to see if the other driver is okay, limit your contact and watch what you say. Be sure not to give any statement or information to the other driver; it’s best to just wait for the police to arrive. Something as simple as an apology could be used against you in court as an admission of guilt.
That being said, you should visibly record all of your interactions just in case. If the other driver were to say something like, “I’m sorry I hit you” or “I’m sorry, I wasn’t paying attention,” and you have it recorded on film, it could be the piece of evidence that helps win your case.
Have you recently been involved in a car crash? Did you or a loved one/ friend receive catastrophic injuries? Let the experienced car accident attorneys at Pope & Howard in Atlanta, GA help you with your case. Partners Marc Howard and Geoff Pope have years of experience litigating and winning serious car accident cases in Georgia. Contact Pope & Howard today for a free consultation; let this top legal team help you receive just compensation.