Hundreds of car accidents occur in Pennsylvania every day. In 2016, an average of 15 collisions happened every hour in the state.
Many auto accidents result in injuries, and you may need to go to court to recover damages. One of the best pieces of evidence you can use in a court case related to a car accident is eyewitness testimony. You may have a lot on your plate in the immediate aftermath because you may need to see a doctor and talk to police, but you should also see if there are any witnesses in the vicinity someone can speak to.
Establish location
One of the first things you need to establish is where the witness was at the time of the accident. It makes a difference whether the witness say the two cars collide from a good vantage point or only saw it after he or she heard the sound of a crash.
Gather contact information
There are quite a few questions you need to ask a witness, and you may not have time to ask everything when you also need to collect the other driver’s insurance information. At the scene, all you really need to do is ask the person if he or she would provide contact information, so you can get in touch later. You may be able to contact the person later although many people prefer to leave this work to the attorney.
Obtain facts instead of opinions
When you do get a chance to speak with a witness, one of the best things you can ask is, “Can you please walk through exactly what you saw?” You then need to listen carefully and ask follow-up questions. In addition to asking about events that led up to the crash, you should also ask questions related to the weather and road conditions. Every little detail matters when it comes to eyewitness testimony.
