A witness to the underlying accident might be very helpful in your injury claim. Witnesses can support your version of events and might even offer fresh details you can use to show who was at blame. Even a person who did not observe the accident may have seen you right after it happened and may attest to the fact that you seemed to be harmed. Here are some suggestions for engaging witnesses to support your claim for personal injury.
When a Witness is an Unknown Person
You or your lawyer needs to return to the place and speak with anybody who lives or works around the accident site to look for such witnesses. Act right away if you uncover witnesses to your accident and what they observed suggests that someone else was at blame. Talk to a personal injury lawyer in Medicine Hat and they will make a note of the names, addresses, home, work, and mobile phone numbers of any witnesses.
The injury lawyer can question witnesses about what they saw and where they were exactly when it occurred. If the witnesses are helpful, find out if you can write down what they said and submit it to them so they can verify it is accurate.
If witnesses seem reluctant to become engaged while agreeing with your account of events, note down what they said and immediately ask them to read it to ensure its accuracy.
Managing Witnesses
Accident witnesses frequently include individuals we know. Your duty is roughly the same as with a stranger, but easier, if a friend, relative, or acquaintance saw your accident.
Contact between an insurance adjuster and witnesses
A police accident report or other sources of information may be used by an insurance adjuster to independently locate witnesses and contact them. Speak with your witnesses.
If they choose not to, witnesses are under no need to speak with the insurance provider about the incident. Additionally, they are absolutely within their rights to restrict their engagement to the statement they have already provided you. But take caution. Do not tell witnesses not to speak to the insurance company, even though you can inform them of their right to confidentiality.
That would be obstructing the opposing party’s right to information, which might put your personal injury settlement at risk. Each witness should be free to decide whether or not to speak with the insurance company, allowing them to maintain their independence and, consequently, credibility. It will help if your lawyer takes their statements as quickly as possible after the accident, so that they remember all the details. It will help your claim be strengthened and in turn, you’d be eligible to receive maximum compensation.