The Importance of Witness Statements in Accident Claims

Gathering as much evidence as possible is part of the process when you file a personal injury claim. When your claim is evaluated and valued, you will have to prove the extent of your damages to get the highest possible settlement or financial award from your claim. 

There are several types of evidence that you can use in a claim to support it and give it a boost including, but not limited to the following:

• Pictures
• Video Footage
• Your personal journal 
• Expert witnesses
• Witness statements
• Medical records
• Bills related to property damages
• Police reports

If you were harmed in a particularly catastrophic accident, then you likely have sustained very costly damages. It is imperative that you are fairly and fully compensated for those losses you suffered. An attorney can help you with your claim and investigate it to uncover all possible forms of evidence. Individuals who may have been present when your accident happened can also be a source of evidence that your attorney can use. Their statements have the potential to be a critical and quite persuasive form of evidence that proves the extent of your damages.

What Witness STatements Do for a Personal Injury Claim

No one plans to have an accident, but accidents happen quite often and usually in locations where there are other people. People who see an accident can offer their perspective about what happened. Especially in cases where you did not cause the accident, what another person has to say and what their opinion is can be good for you as it may offer convincing information for a claims adjuster or a judge and jury.

Witness statements can be powerful and provide more information about how an accident happened and possibly, who was at fault. Additionally, witness statements can do the following:

• Providing corroboration with a sequence of events set forth by the claimant.
• Providing supplemental details that create a clearer picture of how the accident occurred and who caused it.
• Filling gaps with information that the claimant may have missed to back up the allegations and story the claimant has given.
• Add more weight and believability to the claimant’s version of events especially when the defendant is trying to offer conflicting and contradictory information.
• Speak to how shocking the accident was and how severe the damages were that resulted.
• Providing emotional and psychological context by explaining how a claimant reacted to the accident and how it visibly affected them.

A witness statement can be compelling. It can fill in the various aspects of an accident that may be missing and it can give an unbiased and objective view of the accident and its aftermath.

Call Fulgencio Law Today

It is the claimant’s responsibility to argue their case effectively and control the narrative of what took place to not only be successful with a claim but also get the most from it.

If you have questions about filing a personal injury claim in Florida or if you would like assistance with a claim, please call (813) 463-0123 to schedule your free consultation with a Tampa personal injury attorney at Fulgencio Law.