Types of Witness Testimonies and Who to Count On to Back Your Story

Before making a life-changing decision, do you talk about it with your family?

Have you ever asked a waiter what he would recommend when eating at a new restaurant?

Do you ask your friends their opinions about important life choices?

If you’re like most of us, you probably answered yes to one of these questions, or at least thought of a situation where you’ve wanted the advice of a second, third, or fourth party to make a decision—and that’s okay.

No matter the type of situation, if you’re called upon to make a choice, you appreciate having reassurance that your decision will be the right one. Not only does your choice get validation, but if it turns out to be the wrong choice you have the comfort that others around you would have made the same call. And, of course, every new perspective can deepen your understanding of the issue at hand.

So, what does this have to do with trial statements and witnesses? Everything!

One of the most important aspects of successfully pursuing a successful injury case is the effective use of witness testimony. Forensic evidence is great, and the skill of the attorney is incredibly helpful, but nothing helps convince a jury to side with you more than the reassuring testimony of a third party.

Types of Useful Witnesses

Supporting testimony from a witness not only provides the jury with a story to corroborate what you said happened but it also provides the jury with an unbiased resource. Since the witness has nothing to gain or lose, the jury will be more inclined to believe his statement over the conflicting he-said/she-said positions of the parties to the dispute. This is just one reason why it’s crucial to identify witnesses at the scene of the accident and either secure their contact information or their statements before too much time elapses.

When securing an effective witness, you need to be sure that he can accurately describe the scene in detail as it happened, and that he is also willing to testify. The most reliable witnesses for car accident cases include the following:

  • Onlookers. Anyone who may have potentially seen the accident or witnessed the offensive driver behaving erratically before the collision could be a strong candidate for testifying. In addition to having an outside view of the accident, bystanders are impartial to the outcome of the case and therefore more focused on facts than opinions.
  • Passengers. Although impartial witnesses are generally more objective, your passengers may have seen what happened and be able to provide detailed descriptions of the collision. The driver can may have memory lapses or false memories due to adrenaline and the rushed response to control the vehicle. However, a passenger’s testimony may be able to fill in these gaps with a similar point-of-view from inside the car.
  • Police officers. If the police came to the scene and wrote a report that states who caused the accident, that report might influence an insurance company. Although the officer’s conclusion isn’t conclusive, as he didn’t physically see the accident, his experience with evaluating accidents may be enough to convince the insurance company or jury of what most likely happened.
  • Cell phones. If there are no witnesses to be found at the time of the collision, and you expect disagreement about how the accident happened, you can use your cell phone to record information from the site. The cell phone isn’t exactly a “witness,” but it can provide helpful evidence anyway. If feasible, take photos and video of the scene, of the vehicles involved, and anything else that is important—such as skid marks, street signs, or accident debris on the road.

The Right Witnesses Should Be Matched With the Right Attorney

Attorney Steve Lee has been an injury lawyer in this community for almost four decades. He offers aggressive legal counsel to those who have been injured in car accidents, as well as those who have been injured due to the reckless actions of drunk drivers. If you or a loved one has suffered physical or emotional injuries, contact us today for a free legal consultation.

All it takes is one phone call to get us started on building you a strong case. We don’t leave anything to chance and are proud to use forensic evidence, witness testimonies, and the latest in accident reconstruction technology, as well as some of the foremost medical experts in Texas to help show the insurance companies that they can’t get away with the minimum settlement. You and your injuries deserve more, and we’ll fight to make sure you get it. Call today.

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