If you have been in a car accident, the witnesses that have witnessed the car accident can play an important role in building your case. Their testimony can shed light from a different angle and unlock new avenues of the case to take advantage of.
In some cases, a witness’s testimony can directly impact the case and help you win your case. Hence, knowing what to do after a car accident and what questions to ask your witnesses while waiting for the police and your lawyer to arrive at the accident scene can give you an upper hand with the lawsuit.
It is thanks to a Bronx truck accident lawyer that we were able to curate this article. Here we have listed down the major question that you can ask the eyewitnesses.
Questions To Ask A Car Accident Witness
If there are witnesses on the accident scene on scene, they can act as a valuable tool to strengthen your lawsuit and get the true value of your claim. However, to make effective use of the eyes of witnesses, you must be aware of the exact question you need to ask them.
Q1: Can You Tell Me In Your Words How The Accident Occurs?
A: This is a great question to start with. Asking this question ensures that the witness will give their verdict on what they have seen and narrate the event. This might give details to events and offer insight into information you were not aware of. Then, while continuing with the story, you can ask follow-up questions to fill the gap in the information.
Q2: What Were The Drivings Doing Before The Accident?
A: This is the best question to follow the forest question. This will give you an insight into what the driver was doing before the car accident. If he/she were breaking laws, you could use this information to build your case even sturdier.
Q3: Did The Driver Say Anything After the Accident?
A: There are times when the driver knows the accident was their fault and immediately accepts their fault. This statement holds importance in the case as it can bring the case to an end. Ask the witnesses whether they heard something after the car accident or what the driver was talking about.
Q4: Are You Willing To Give Your Statement To The Police?
A: Most eyewitnesses feel nervous speaking in front of the police or giving them their statements. For them, it might be a hassle. So, after asking them the question, you can confirm whether they are willing to give their statement to police officers. If they are willing to do so, you will have a witness as evidence for your case.
Q5: Was The Driver Overspeeding?
A: People standing at the side of the road have a better view to estimate the car’s speed. You can ask the witness about the overspeeding. After all, they are in the perfect position to judge whether the car was overspeeding or not.
Q6: Did You See Any Brake Lights?
A: This question is asked to ensure whether the driver was at least trying to avoid the accident. If the witness has noticed the tail light going red, this shows that the driver has at least tried to apply brakes. It is just a qualitative question that supports the earlier question.
Q7: What Is Your Contact Information?
A: Finally, once you are done with asking questions and recording their statement. You can ask for their contact information. This is to ensure that if the court asks for the sources of the evidence, you can contact them. It is an important activity that you must do after a car accident.
Avoid Answers With Third-Party Observation
When you are asking a question to the eyewitnesses, it needs to be tailored in such a way the answers would be in first-hand observation. Avoid answers with speculation or heard from other sources.
This is to ensure that you can avoid any complications if the testimonies are used in the courtroom. All the states and federal laws rule out any evidence and testimonies that are not directed and involve the information collected from speculation and third parties.
