Free Consultation
770-626-7895Many car accident cases come down to a “he said/she said” dispute between the drivers involved. This can make it difficult to determine which driver was actually at-fault for a car accident. One way to resolve this potential deadlock is to obtain a car accident witness statement from anyone who saw the accident and can shed light on what happened.
Why Witness Statements Are Helpful for Car Accident Cases
Depending on the facts and circumstances surrounding a car accident, there may be a number of potential witnesses. We often see witness statements from the following types of individuals:
- other drivers who were on the street where the accident occurred;
- passengers in the accident vehicles;
- pedestrians who were on the sidewalk or crossing the street at the scene;
- first responders–police, fire and rescue, et cetera–who attended the accident scene.
Ideally, if you are one of the parties to the accident, you want to find a third-party or disinterested witness who can bolster your case. After all, a judge or jury is unlikely to give much credit to a family member who was sitting in your car when the accident occurred. But a pedestrian who just happened to be walking by–and who had no prior relationship with you–can provide potentially valuable testimony in the event of a lawsuit.
One reason such witness statements can be so helpful is that a third party is more likely to have seen the entire accident. For example, a witness might have seen who ran a red light, who was speeding, or who tried to make an illegal or unsafe turn. Oftentimes, the drivers involved in the accident may not even know these things.
How to Obtain an Effective Car Accident Witness Statement
If you are in a car accident, you should try and identify any potential witnesses at the scene if possible. Your first priority should be to make sure anyone, including yourself, gets medical attention if necessary. But if you are able to move around and can identify anyone who saw what might have happened, you should take down their name and contact information.
Keep in mind, however, that Georgia courts will not admit most hearsay statements. In other words, you cannot tell a jury that there was a witness at the scene who told you the other driver was at-fault. The witness must be personally available to testify. This means you need to make sure the witness is reliable. For example, if a witness tells you a different story months after the accident than what they said at the scene, that is generally a good indication that their testimony will not be reliable or helpful to your case.
Consult a Georgia Car Accident Lawyer Today
One way that you can help identify and use potential witness statements is to work with an experienced Georgia car accident attorney. The Larrison Law Firm can sit down with you and review all of the potential evidence in your car accident case, including potential witness statements. Contact us today at 770-554-98100 to schedule a consultation.
