Redan car crashes are often very complicated and stressful events. After a car crash, the fault driver may have to compensate the other party for their losses. This is because Redan is in Georgia, a fault-based accident state. However, proving fault can be challenging because both drivers will have different versions of the collision.
This is where credible eyewitnesses become helpful. Insurance companies and juries often have to listen to witnesses to judge who caused the accident. Therefore, if you’ve been in a Redan car crash, it’ll be best to contact a Redan car accident lawyer. An attorney can track down the necessary witnesses for your case.
What Is Witness Credibility?
It’s insufficient that a third party witnessed a car accident. Third-party observations aren’t even always reliable. For example, when collisions occur, the witnesses aren’t planning to testify about the events they’re seeing. Instead, such persons are more concerned about their safety. It’s thus possible that they’d miss out on crucial details of the collision.
Therefore, beyond being a witness, such a party must also be credible. Credibility here refers to how believable or trustworthy a witness is. Witness credibility is often as important as or more important than what the witness has to say. A witness’s credibility is essential because the insurance adjuster or jury must believe them to give you the maximum compensation.
Factors That Affect Witness Credibility
Many factors determine witness credibility. Furthermore, any witness can have their credibility challenged by skilled professionals. So, it’s best to first judge your accident witness’s credibility before putting them forward. These factors below can help you.
Consistency
The first determinant of credibility is how consistent the witness is in their accident narration. If your witness gives various accounts of the same crash, they’re most likely lying. Conversely, it could be that they’ve forgotten exactly what happened. So, an inconsistent witness is unreliable and lacks credibility.
Physical State
The physical condition of the witness may also affect their credibility. For instance, the other party may challenge the credibility of a witness with poor eyesight. This would be worse where the witness wasn’t wearing their prescription glasses. Similarly, an intoxicated witness is no use to your Redan car crash case. While under the influence of drugs or alcohol, they may not see things as they are.
Criminal Record
Insurance companies and defense attorneys can attack a witness with a criminal history. Although it’s presumptive and discriminatory, a felony conviction significantly affects any witness’s credibility. Even if the witness hasn’t been to jail, a history of dishonesty could work against them.
Interest in the Case
Indeed, no one would trust a witness that has an interest in the car accident claim. This interest could be financial or otherwise. Furthermore, the unreliable witnesses on this list include co-workers, family, friends, and victims of the same crash. The rationale for such distrust is obvious. If a witness is interested in the case, they’ll most likely craft their testimony in favor of the party they care about.
Quality of Observation
The quality of the witness’s observation can also impact their credibility. For example, witnesses who didn’t see the whole accident are unreliable. In addition, a distracted witness wouldn’t correctly observe the collision. Distractions could come from talking on the phone. It could also be that they were merely walking their dog. This means that what the witness was doing at the time is crucial. If their focus was divided at the crash time, they might miss vital details of the accident.
Getting Witness Information
After a Redan car crash, it’s best to speak to the witnesses at the scene. Furthermore, it would help to take their contact details. This way, you can call them when you need them to testify. Relevant data would thus include:
- Names
- Address
- Phone numbers
- Email addresses (if they so prefer)
- Alternative contact sources
Redan Car Accident Lawyers Can Help With Witness Credibility
Have you survived a Redan car accident? Do you have any witnesses that can prove you aren’t at fault for the crash? If you do, then first, you have to confirm their credibility. However, testing a witness’s credibility will be challenging for laypeople. That’s why you need a Redan car accident lawyer. An excellent lawyer can take the witness through the necessary tests to prove their credibility.
Notably, too, you can get these skilled lawyers at The Weinstein Firm. Our attorneys have won millions of dollars for our clients. But, in the process, we had to rely on witness testimony to prove our claims. If our witnesses weren’t credible, we wouldn’t have this excellent track record. So, it’ll be best to call us today to talk about that car crash.
