Car accidents in Florida are usually not isolated incidents. Typically, there are multiple witnesses who observe the commotion of the collision.
Thankfully, witness statements can aid in your car accident claim to obtain the compensation you are entitled to. Depending on the location of your accident, multiple bystanders might have observed how the other driver was at fault. Though not all witnesses might be necessary, having dependable witnesses on your side might play a crucial role in the success of your claim. Our team can also procure expert witnesses for particularly complex cases.
Contact The Law Offices of David I. Fuchs, Injury & Accident Lawyer, P.A. at (954) 751-4258 for a free review of your case with our Ft. Lauderdale car accident attorneys.
What Witness Statements Do I Need for My Car Accident Claim in Florida?
Witnesses can play a critical role in car accident lawsuits. The usefulness of witness statements will depend on the specific circumstances of the case. Eyewitnesses can be especially important when there is disagreement over who caused the accident. In these cases, bystander witnesses can provide statements that clearly show who is at fault. However, other types of witnesses might also be necessary to support the bystander statements. For example, the police officer who investigated the accident might be called to testify about their observations.
In some situations, liability is clear, but the defendant might argue that the victim’s injuries were minor or not related to the accident. In these cases, an expert witness might be needed to provide statements connecting the victim’s injuries to the accident. This expert witness is often a treating doctor or medical professional who examined the victim for the case. However, other types of expert witnesses might also be necessary, such as accident reconstruction experts or specialized medical professionals.
Bystander witnesses are often the most common type of witnesses in car accident cases, but they can also be the most difficult to convince to provide statements. Some bystanders might be willing to help, while others might be hesitant to get involved in a lawsuit.
Why Are Witness Statements Important for My Florida Car Accident Claim?
If you were involved in a car accident in Florida, eyewitnesses can provide valuable first-hand accounts of the negligent driver’s actions. It is important to reach out to these potential witnesses to obtain statements that can help your case for compensation. Our team of Florida car accident lawyers can assist in contacting eyewitnesses and gathering statements that can support your side of the story. Eyewitnesses often have access to the same information as the victim, which can help corroborate their account of the incident and strengthen the case.
Police officers who arrive on the scene after the accident can also provide important information that might be useful in your case. Their statements can include details about the state of the scene when they arrived and their overall impressions of the situation. When seeking compensation for your injuries, statements from eyewitnesses and police officers can be just as important as other types of evidence in proving the negligent driver’s fault.
Do I Need to Give a Statement in My Florida Car Accident Claim?
If you have been injured in a car accident and are seeking damages from the at-fault party in Florida, it is important that you share your experience. You can provide a statement that explains how the defendant acted negligently, and you can describe the details of the accident. You can also discuss the financial and emotional toll that the accident has taken on your well-being.
If your case goes to trial, it might be helpful to testify in court. Although testifying can be stressful, our attorneys will prepare you for it so that you feel comfortable taking the stand. When car accident victims can testify about their experiences, it can greatly help the success of their claim.
What Do If I Do If the Witness in My Florida Car Accident Claim Was a Bystander?
Bystander witnesses to a car accident might be the most common but also hardest to commit to providing statements in a lawsuit. Several bystanders could have witnessed your car accident, including other drivers, pedestrians, or those working nearby. Some might be good enough to offer their help if they saw your accident, while others might need some convincing. Witnesses that have no connection to the parties involved might be reluctant to get involved with a lawsuit. That is where our Miami personal injury attorneys can step in a reach out to witnesses on your behalf and explain what their role would be in your case.
If you did not have an opportunity to speak to witnesses while at the scene of the accident, do not worry. Most car accidents in Florida must be reported to the police, so they will likely investigate your accident, which includes speaking to any witnesses on the scene. The police officer’s report should include the names and contact information of any witnesses the police interviewed, which our team can use to track down statements that can be used in your claim. However, you should try to get contact information from witnesses while on the scene if your injuries permit it in case the police report does not list it.
Will an Expert Witness Statement Help My Car Accident Claim in Florida?
Lastly, it might be necessary to enlist the help of an expert to prove your car accident claim. In some cases, an accident expert might be called to help explain how your accident occurred. This is usually for more complex cases. In most situations, your treating doctor or other medical experts will be asked to provide statements regarding your injuries and why they believe these injuries were caused in this accident.
What If the Witness Statement I Need for My Florida Car Accident Claim Contains Hearsay?
When it comes to evidence, witness statements and testimony must follow an important rule against hearsay. According to Rule 801 of the Florida Rules of Evidence, hearsay refers to a statement made by someone other than the witness testifying, which is being presented to prove the truth of the matter in question.
An example of hearsay could be information passed on through unofficial channels. For instance, if a witness claimed that the defendant caused an accident because their friend who witnessed it said so, their testimony would be deemed inadmissible hearsay.
Despite being a significant evidentiary rule, there are exceptions to hearsay. In specific circumstances, hearsay statements might be admissible. For example, statements that form part of a medical diagnosis, those made about someone’s character or reputation, or former official testimony might be admissible, even if they constitute hearsay.
Our Florida Car Accident Attorneys Can Help
For a free case evaluation with our Hollywood, FL car accident lawyers, call The Law Offices of David I. Fuchs, Injury & Accident Lawyer today at (954) 751-4258.
