Important Questions to Ask a Car Accident Witness ~2 min read

If you are involved in a car accident and if you are able, you need to note if there are any witnesses. If so, get their name and contact information. If possible, here are some questions you can ask them. If it is not possible to get the answers at the scene, your personal injury attorneys at Springer & Lyle will follow up and ask these important questions.

Questions of Car Accident Witnesses

Any statement you can get at the scene or later could be very helpful. Statements from witnesses can be key to proving who was at fault. If you were unable to ask questions at the scene, your attorney will follow up by interviewing witnesses either by phone or in person. Some important questions to ask are:

Insurance companies work hard to prove who was at fault for the accident. If they can prove you contributed to the accident, the compensation they will pay you is decreased. If you were more than 50 percent at fault, Texas law says you are not entitled to any compensation.

• Tell me what you saw. This is a great open-ended question that often inspires the witness to provide a lot of information.
• Describe the location of the accident. This should elicit any identifying information such as the cross streets, streetlights, speed limit signs, where each vehicle was before the accident and right after. If the interview is being conducted in person, ask the witness to draw a map of the location including where the cars were just prior to and right after the accident.
• What were the road and traffic conditions? Was it dark? Was the sun shining? Was it raining? Foggy? Were there potholes? Was the road under construction?
• How far away were you from the accident? Did you see the accident happen or observe the scene immediately after?
• What did you see, hear, and feel?
• How did those involved in the accident act immediately after?

Tailor your questions so that you elicit only first-hand observations and impressions. A witness who reports what they think others at the scene may have said, or speculation about what happened, is not helpful and the statements will be inadmissible in court.

Contact Attorneys at Springer & Lyle

The personal injury attorneys at Springer & Lyle will contact your witnesses and ask the necessary questions you may not have been able to ask at the scene. They can help you get the reasonable compensation you are entitled for your injuries, lost wages, medical expenses, pain and suffering, and other physical damage. Contact us at 940-387-0404 for a free consultation.