Witness

Most personal injury claims will make use of one or more witnesses. A witness, or eyewitness, is anybody who has firsthand information about the circumstances of a case.

This could range from a witness who watched an automobile accident to an employee of a corporation who observed a construction accident. The information that witnesses supply is called testimony. In many cases, many witnesses will be asked to testify.

Witnesses can be important whether or not a case goes to trial. Your lawyer will contact any possible witnesses early in the claims process. They may utilize an informal technique of asking questions and documenting the replies to understand what the witness would say in a trial. Or, they may seek a formal deposition, establishing an official record so both sides can utilize the witness’s comments.

Witnesses who are not likely to come forward with information on their own, such as a pharmaceutical company employee in a case involving defective medication, are often deposed by the attorney.

Often, the information acquired from witnesses is enough to build compelling proof and convince the opposing side to settle and not go to trial. If not, witnesses will have to testify in open court, where both sides can ask them questions called “examinations.”