In order to recover compensation, car accident victims must be able to prove that the other driver was to blame for the crash. To do this, personal injury attorneys conduct investigations to gather evidence that proves liability. Sometimes, the most important evidence comes from interviews conducted with people who witnessed the accident. No one may have had a better view of the accident than the passengers in your vehicle. But, can your passengers act as witnesses in a car accident claim?
Anyone who personally observed the events leading up to the accident, the crash itself, or the aftermath can serve as a witness in a car accident claim. This includes passengers in any vehicle involved in the accident.
However, the impact of any witness’s testimony will depend on the perceived credibility of the witness. On one hand, the passenger should be seen as credible since he most likely had a good view of the accident. He may have even heard the driver comment on the fact that a car was driving too close to him or speeding up behind him right before the collision. Therefore, it may be easier to believe him over a witness who was across the street when the accident occurred.
But, there are several factors that could hurt the passenger’s credibility as well. Passengers are typically either related to or friends with the driver of the vehicle. Because of this, the passenger may be hesitant to say anything that could be used to prove this person was at fault. This is especially true if the passenger was also injured in the accident. Passengers have the right to file a personal injury claim if they are hurt in an accident. If it can be proven that the other driver was at fault, the passenger can file a claim with that driver’s insurance company instead of pointing the finger at his close friend or family member.
Even if the passenger is completely honest, the insurance adjuster or jury may not think he is a credible witness due to his close relationship with the driver. But, the information that passengers may have about the accident is too valuable to ignore. For this reason, passengers almost always serve as witnesses in car accident claims.
If you have been injured in a car accident, seek legal representation from the personal injury attorneys at Reisch Law Firm. Our personal injury attorneys will conduct a thorough investigation to gather evidence that can be used to prove liability for the crash. Schedule a free consultation today by calling 303-291-0555 or filling out this online form.
