If you or a loved one has been involved in a wreck in the State of Washington, contact us today for free, friendly, confidential legal advice. We have been practicing since 1948 and have recovered millions for car accident victims. Please also feel free to visit our Spokane Valley car accident lawyer page.
Do I need a witness to my car accident?
After a serious wreck you may not think to get witness information, or you could be too injured to even complete this task. Or maybe a loved one was tragically killed in the collision.
Sworn testimony of witnesses is evidence, and witness testimony can make or break a personal injury lawsuit.
While this witness testimony is great to have but if you do not have it contact us anyways.
Types of witnesses
There are three types of witnesses in cases involving motor vehicle accidents and injuries. Those are occurrence witnesses, post-occurrence witnesses and opinion witnesses. Then there’s circumstantial evidence. A personal injury case can pivot on any of that evidence.
- Occurrence witnesses
An occurrence witness was present at the scene of the accident. He or she experienced it with his or her senses. The witness might be called an eyewitness but that’s a misnomer. An occurrence witness was present at the scene and saw, heard, felt or smelled something. If you think that eyewitness or occurrence witness testimony is unreliable, you’ve probably been watching too many crime dramas. - Post-occurrence witnesses
A post-occurrence witness wasn’t present at the scene of the event when it happened. In a motor vehicle accident case, a post-occurrence witness might be somebody who arrived at the scene within seconds or minutes after impact. That person might be a paramedic called to the scene, a police officer investigating the accident, an emergency room employee, nurse, doctor or anybody else who a party to a case might have given a statement to or treated with. Post-occurrence witnesses might be friends, family or co-workers who describe the plaintiff’s condition both before and after the accident. A post-occurrence witness could even be the man from the body shop who describes the damage to a vehicle, what repairs were required, the cost of those repairs and whether the repair bill is paid or remains unpaid. The circumstances giving rise to when a person becomes a post-occurrence witness might arise long after the actual event at issue. - Expert witnesses
An expert witness might also be called an opinion witness. Expert witnesses possess special knowledge or expertise in their own specific field or profession that’s relevant to an issue in a case. Sometimes treating physicians are called upon to give opinion testimony. At other times, independent expert witnesses are retained by the parties to render opinions at trial. Expert witnesses might be doctors, lawyers, engineers, accountants, security consultants or even therapists. Whatever the calling, there’s an expert available to render an opinion.
Contact us today
A skilled and experienced trial lawyer knows how to build a case with no independent occurrence witnesses.
If you have been in a serious accident contact us today for a free, pressure free consultation.
