While many personal injury cases don’t go to trial, some do, and in those cases, witness testimonial is of utmost importance. Witness testimonies can go a very long way in helping the jury give you a favorable award.
Witness testimony typically consists of lay witnesses and expert witnesses. Lay witnesses are more commonly known as simply “witnesses.” These are witnesses to the case who are not experts; typically the plaintiff, the defendant, or someone who saw the accident happen. If you know of someone who witnessed your accident, it’s of utmost importance to get their contact information for this purpose. Expert witnesses are people who are permitted to testify at a trial because of extensive knowledge in a field related to the case. Expert witnesses in personal injury cases may include police officers, medical specialists or doctors, rehabilitation experts, and accident reconstructionists.
An accident reconstructionist is one of the most important expert witnesses in a car accident personal injury case. This person can go back to the scene of the accident, review police reports and other documents, and put together a picture of how the accident happened. This person is especially important in cases where there are no eyewitnesses to the accident.
One of the most important witnesses to testify at a personal injury trial is yourself! You can testify firsthand about what exactly happened, how injuries were sustained, and how it has affected your daily life since. Be sure to write your personal statement with the help of your lawyer, and have them walk you through potential questions you may be asked by other parties.
When you’ve found a witness, you should ask them to make a statement as soon as possible so memories don’t fade. You can ask them to write down what they remember from the accident, and your lawyer can help determine which information is critical to your case. If you are coherent directly following an accident, you should survey if there are any witnesses available and get their information for the future. A witness to the accident can help make or break your case.
Your attorney can help you find witnesses and utilize witnesses in the best way possible. They can help you track down witnesses, gather statements, weed through information and decide what is important to your case, and decide who to call to trial.
Schedule a FREE consultation with Lyndsay Markley Law by calling (312) 523-2158, or emailing info@lmarkleylaw.com.
