Tips To Getting Witnesses To Cooperate In Your Car Accident Suit
In every car accident, witnesses to the incident can help make or break your case. That is why it is important to note down the names, contacts, and addresses of any witness at the scene of the accident because they can help prove who was at fault, paint a better picture of exactly what happened leading to the accident, and eventually help your personal injury suit be successful.
Unfortunately, some witnesses to your car accident may be unwilling or reluctant to come forward and offer their testimony, usually because they don't want to get involved in the judicial process. This can mean that you are unable to prove your case for compensation in court. In this article, you will learn what you can do if no witness is willing to come forward after your car accident.
Use a private investigator
The first logical thing most car accident victims do is approach an experienced car accident lawyer to examine the merits of their case and help start a lawsuit against the at-fault party. If you are having a problem locating a witness, you can ask your lawyer to hire a private investigator to track them down for you.
Most prominent law firms will usually have a professional investigator who is thorough and convincing. Getting a private investigator involved in your case can help locate witnesses who don't want to be found and even convince hesitant witnesses to come forward and give their version of the story to the authorities.
Subpoena witnesses
In cases where you know a certain witness, but they simply won't get involved with your case and offer their testimony, you can talk to your lawyer about subpoenaing them. This will basically compel them under law to come forward and give their version of the story in a formal deposition so the facts about the accident can be established.
In some cases, a witness may be reluctant to talk informally to a lawyer or private investigator and will only give their testimony in a deposition or on the witness stand at trial. In such cases, a subpoena may still be necessary, as your lawyer will usually need to interview the witness off the record to help them prepare their testimony.
Without witnesses to your car accident, you will probably have a tough time proving your case in court, and may end up losing out on damages you deserve. The above tips can help get reluctant witnesses to come forward and hopefully cooperate in your personal injury suit.
For a car accident attorney, contact a law firm such as Welsh & Welsh PC LLO.
