If you have been a witness to a car accident, you may have already spoken to law officials in the immediate aftermath of a car accident.
However, if the injured party chooses to press charges for a personal injury claim, a witness may have to write a formal witness statement to present to lawyers, insurance companies, and the court. Witness statements can give important evidence in a car accident claim for the victim to claim the compensation they deserve.
Any witness to a car accident can be asked to write a car accident statement to be provided for the lawsuit. If you have been requested to write a statement, it is important to contact a lawyer immediately to assist you.
If you have been injured in a car accident or have been asked to write a witness statement and live in Florida, contact The Law Place today. Our experienced lawyers have over 75 years of combined experience in car accident and personal injury claims. We can help you write an informative and honest car accident witness statement. Call The Law Place today on (941) 444-4444 to book a free consultation.
We can help if you need advice on how to write a car accident witness statement.
Why Witness Statements Are Important
Witness statements are pivotal in documenting what happened in a car accident. Those involved in the accident will have their account of the accident. However, in many cases, few drivers take accountability if they are in the wrong. With this in mind, witness statements can accurately describe who may have been at fault.
An eyewitness to a car crash may have details that no one else involved may know. This will be important in this case, as an accurate, detailed, and unbiased account of the accident will help to resolve the case. Very few claims make it to court because as lawyers gather accurate evidence, the case can be settled quickly and out of court. A detailed witness statement can be vital evidence.
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Preparing to Write a Witness Statement
To write a detailed witness statement, you should aim to write it as soon as possible after the accident to be as accurate as possible with your details.
Even though a witness statement may not be requested until many months later, it’s important to write an accurate statement soon after you have witnessed an accident, just in case you’re called as a witness in the future.
If you took photos of the accident, make sure to back these up on a computer or the cloud as soon as possible. This will keep a digital copy safe in case your device is lost.
Witnesses Details
The first details to include in the statement are the witness’s full legal name, home address, and contact information. Once the statement has been completed, the witness must also sign to confirm all the details included in the witness statement are the truth.
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Car Accident Details
Within witness statements, you must include all relevant details you know about the accident, such as who was involved, which cars were in the car accident, and the date and time of the accident.
The car details should include the models, registration numbers, and the color of the cars to accurately link these cars to the accident.
It is also important to be as accurate as possible about where the accident took place. This could be an intersection or part of the highway. By printing off a map of the area, you could mark exactly where the accident took place to provide a clear description for those involved in the lawsuit.
The more detailed the witness statements are, the more help they will be for the lawsuit. If you are a witness to a car accident and one of the first to call the emergency services, your phone call log will provide an accurate time of the accident. This will be vital for the lawsuit to know exactly when the accident took place.
As traumatizing as accidents can be, both to be involved in or to witness, if you are able to take photos in the immediate aftermath, this will provide important evidence for the lawsuit. This can log the time, the cars involved, and the extent of damage caused to the cars and can help refresh your memory.
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How the Crash Happened
This will be the most detailed part of the witness statement. The witness should narrate exactly what they witnessed, for example, the direction of cars traveling, any speeding they witnessed, or negligent driving.
You must also detail the paths in which the vehicles were taking prior to the accident and then the positions they ended up in after the accident. This will help describe how the accident took place.
You must avoid writing about anything you didn’t witness or making presumptions about who was at fault. If you write honestly about what you physically witnessed, your witness statement will be very informative and helpful for the insurance claim. If you aren’t certain about a key element of the car accident, then state this in your witness statement.
Do not write any guesses or opinions you have about the accident. Only write about what you observed. It will be up to the court, jury, or lawyers to determine the conclusion of the accident so avoid trying to provide a conclusion.
Damages Caused by the Accident
Within your witness statement, you can describe any damage to vehicles and injuries to those involved that you witnessed.
If a witness didn’t see any injuries but could describe those involved in the accident as appearing injured, such as limping or holding part of their body, these details should be included. By honestly describing how those involved were behaving, you could be supporting or disproving a personal injury claim.
Damages to vehicles should also be accurately described in the witness statement. If the damage was to the front, back, or either of the sides, it’s vital to detail accurately the damage that you saw.
Further Details
Any other relevant information should be included in the witness statement. This would include the weather, road conditions but also if you witnessed a driver under the influence.
You should also include any conversations that were had between those directly involved in the accident. Document any accusations made by those involved, the body language, and any aggression shown to one another. This will provide a detailed account of how those involved in the car accident behaved in the immediate aftermath.
Any sensory details you witnessed, such as smells, should also be included. This could indicate a damaged brake or if one of the drivers had been under the influence of alcohol or drugs. All of these details will help describe the scene to the lawyers involved in the case.
You must be as detailed as possible. There may be details you think aren’t important but include this information anyway, as it could support or disprove a claim made by those involved in the car accident. Also, if you witnessed anything unusual during the car accident, it is important to document these too.
Contact The Law Place today
If you have been involved in a car accident or have been asked to write a witness statement, contact a lawyer at The Law Place today.
We can assist with a personal injury claim or help you write a witness statement. With over 75 years of combined experience, our lawyers have dealt with many car accident claims on Florida roads and can support your individual needs. Contact one of our experienced lawyers today on (941) 444-4444 to book a free consultation at a time that suits you.
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