3 Reasons Why The Court Might Decline Your Witness Statements In A Car Crash Claim

The law allows you to have witnesses testify on your behalf in court if you want to prove your case in a car crash claim, as they may be in a position to provide essential information that will confirm that you were not responsible for the wreck. In addition, their statements can help prove that the account you gave was the correct version of what happened. However, your witnesses must be trustworthy in order to testify for you. Therefore, a lawyer needs to assess them before the trial to ensure that they are not in any of the following categories, as that could make the court refuse to admit their statements.

They Are Your Relatives

If the witnesses you intend to present in your lawsuit are your relatives, they might not be helpful in your case. For instance, the at-fault party may object to the use of their statements as evidence in court. They might claim that the testimonies are unreliable because your eyewitnesses could wrongly accuse the other party in order to protect you. Therefore, your lawyer may dissuade you from using statements from your relatives. Instead, they will likely need to get testimony from strangers who were nearby and saw everything that happened.

They Have Health Issues

Depending on the circumstances, a person with health issues might not be credible as a witness. For example, if they have eyesight problems, the other party may claim that the witness' statement is untrustworthy. Therefore, if the witness states, for example, that the other driver was operating their phone while driving, causing them to lose concentration, the defendant might argue that the witness could not possibly have seen what was happening inside the car from where they were standing. This is why you should ensure that the witnesses you call do not have any health complications that could make their statements appear doubtful.

They Did Not Witness Everything

Your witness needs to have a comprehensive account of what happened in relation to the collision. Therefore, if they arrived at the scene after the accident, the insurance firm's legal team would place doubt on their credibility. As a result, their lawyers may ask the court to disallow the testimony and use the statements as evidence against you. This is also the case if the witness was doing something that shifted their focus or obstructed their view of the scene when the collision happened.

A rejection of your witness statements can weaken your case, which might reduce your chances of getting justice, which is why you should ensure that you get credible testimony. A lawyer dealing with car crash claims can help you determine whether your eyewitnesses are reliable to avoid unpleasant surprises when your case is presented. For more information, contact a professional law firm such as Ruiz Law Firm.


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