What should be included in a car accident witness statement?
When you get in a car accident, it can cause a lot of injury and property damage and if it is not your fault, you can get compensated for it by the other driver’s insurer, however, you will need to prove the car accident fault. There are several things that are used as evidence to prove fault, and a witness statement is one of the most important ones and that’s why it is necessary that it includes everything that is necessary and excludes the unnecessary.
Things to be included
After you find the witnesses, there are many important things that should be asked and answered. The witness statement must be detailed and have answers to all these important questions. Here are some of the most important questions to ask them.
- Personal details of the person will include their complete name, address, phone number, and email id.
- Ask what they saw in detail and how did the accident occur?
- Which way were the vehicles involved in the accident traveling?
- Ask about things like weather conditions and visibility.
- Where were they standing and if they had a clear view from where they were standing?
- What happened to the vehicles after the collision happened?
- Who all were present in the car and if they saw anybody who was injured?
- Ask them to describe the damage that the vehicles suffered if there was any.
- If there were any other people who might have also witnessed the accident?
- And if there is anything else that is important and worth mentioning.
What not to include?
For writing the best witness statement, you should know what must be included in it, but you must also know what should you not find a place in a statement. There are three very important things that have no place in a car accident witness statement. Let’s have a look at them.
- Opinions: It is important that the witness statement is just a narration that is based on facts and truth, which is why no opinion should be included in it.
- Guesses: Since it is a report which means to be presented as evidence, it needs to be actual fact and not just guessing around.
- Feelings: One of the most essential things about a statement is that the witness should not be sympathetic towards anyone and just be neutral.
A witness statement can make or break a case, and it is important that you have a good one.
