How Can Eyewitnesses Help Your Oregon Car Accident Lawsuit?

Many car accident disputes come down to the conflicting testimony of the drivers involved. In other words, each driver blames the other for causing the accident. One way to help sort out this type of deadlock is to identify any potential eyewitnesses who saw what happened. Indeed, such witnesses can still be helpful to a personal injury case even if they did not see who actually caused the accident. Just to give a few examples:

• Pre-Accident Conditions: A witness who was present at the accident site just before your collision may have observed the dangerous condition that led to the crash. For instance, they may have seen the negligent driver using their phone instead of paying attention to the road.
• Overheard Statements: A witness may have heard something important, such as an admission of fault from the other driver or a statement they had been drinking alcohol just before the crash.
• Your Injuries: Even when liability for a crash is not in doubt, you still need to prove the existence and extent of your injuries. An eyewitness at the scene can help to confirm just how badly injured you were when the accident occurred.

How Do You Find–and Contact–Potential Eyewitnesses

Some eyewitnesses to a car accident may be people you already know. Keep in mind, if there were any passengers in your car when the accident happened, they are all potential witnesses. Of course, there may be other motorists, passengers, pedestrians, and bicyclists who are strangers to you but still may have valuable information about your accident. So how do you go about identifying and contacting them?

While you are still at the accident scene, you may have a chance to speak with potential witnesses who stopped to render aid. Of course, your first priority should always be to seek medical attention following a car accident. But you may still have a chance to briefly take down the names and contact information, such as a phone number or email address, from anyone who might have useful information to offer.

It is also a good idea to contact local police or law enforcement to attend an accident scene. An officer will attempt to identify and speak with any witnesses at the scene. This information is typically incorporated into an official accident report that you–and your personal injury lawyer–can access later.

One thing you should never do, however, is tell a potential witness not to talk to anyone else with an interest in the accident, including an insurance company or the other drivers involved. Such actions can lead to allegations of tampering, which in turn could affect your ability to seek compensation, either under your own insurance policy’s PIP coverage or through a personal injury lawsuit against a negligent driver.

Contact a Portland Car Accident Lawyer Today

If you work with an experienced Portland car accident attorney, they will take on the responsibility of identifying and speaking with any potential witnesses. So it is in your best interest to speak with a lawyer as soon as possible following an accident. Contact Rosenbaum Law Group today at 503-288-8000 to schedule a consultation.