Why Do I Need An Independent Eyewitness For My Car Accident Case?

Let’s assume you are in a car accident while you are running errands. You were in the car alone, so there is no one to confirm what you tell the police officer about the collision. The other driver tells a different story about how the collision occurred. Who does the police officer believe?

The police officer will try to investigate the accident scene, but if there is not much evidence to support either driver, the matter can become complicated very quickly. You might find yourself fighting with an insurance adjuster. If the other driver had a passenger, you could find yourself in a situation where it is two against one. Locating an independent eyewitness could be the key to proving fault, establishing liability, and recovering compensation.

Who Is An Independent Eyewitness?

An independent eyewitness is a person who witnesses the collision but is not related to any of the drivers or passengers involved in the accident. Because an independent eyewitness does not have a financial or personal interest in the outcome of the accident claim, the testimony of an independent eyewitness is usually considered to be reliable by jurors.

Therefore, having an independent eyewitness testify that the other driver caused the accident can be far more convincing than testimony from the other driver and any of his or her passengers. Jurors can view the testimony of the drivers and passengers as be “suspect” because the drivers and passengers receive financial benefit if they win the case. Regardless of who wins the case, the independent eyewitness does not benefit in any way.

What If There Is Not An Independent Witness?

There are cases where an independent eyewitness is not available. In these situations, our Erie car accident attorney uses other resources to identify evidence to establish fault. For example, we may retain an expert to “reconstruct” the accident based on the available evidence. By reconstructing the accident, the expert can explain how the collision occurred and how the other driver caused the accident.

There are many ways our Erie car accident attorney can establish fault, such as searching for video from traffic cameras or nearby businesses. Physical evidence from the accident scene (i.e. skid marks, broken fences, etc.) and evidence from the vehicles can be used to establish fault. When combined with your testimony, physical evidence, and expert testimony can be very compelling. The first step is to contact our office to discuss your case with an attorney.

Don’t delay — Pennsylvania law limits your time to file a car accident claim.

Have You Been Injured In A Car Accident?

If you have been injured in a car accident, let our Erie car accident attorney investigate your accident to identify evidence to prove the over driver caused the collision. Don’t trust the insurance adjuster for the other driver — he is not working for you. The insurance adjuster is looking for evidence the company can use to deny your claim. We don’t want this to happen to you.

Contact the Erie car accident attorney of The Travis Law Firm by calling (800) 401-2066 to schedule a free consultation. Because it does not cost you anything to receive legal advice, you have nothing to lose by calling our office. You do have much to gain by hiring an experienced Erie car accident attorney to fight for your right to receive full compensation for your damages, losses, and injuries.