Why are Witnesses Important to Personal Injury Cases?

Why are Witnesses Important to Personal Injury Cases?

There can be certain situations in life when personal harm can take place to any person with or without intention. Be it a workplace mishap or medical negligence, personal injury is a serious matter that should not be taken lightly. Keeping this in mind, it is imperative that you have a few witnesses who can speak in your favor in case of a personal injury suit. This is because their testimony can play a key role in proving your personal injury claim. As a result, you will be able to get compensation owed to you by another individual or organization. Moreover, it is suggested to consult a personal injury attorney who will be able to guide you through this process in the right manner. Mentioned below are important factors related to the role of witnesses in a personal injury lawsuit.

Importance of a Witness 

The capacity of a witness in a personal injury case is making a statement in the presence of attorneys from both parties and/or jury. The insightful testimony given by a witness can help in strengthening your case to a great extent. Here are two types of witnesses that you can be helpful in a personal injury suit:

Layman

Also known as eyewitness, this is an individual who has seen an injury take place in front of their eyes. Whether you were administered wrong medications or or got hurt by merchandise in a retail store, their observations will be useful in making your case stronger. Some people presume that the role of eyewitnesses is limited. But in reality, in-depth information provided by this type of witness can affect the verdict immensely.

Expert

Witnesses who have prior knowledge, experience, or expertise in a specific field are called in to provide their testimonials in a personal injury lawsuit. These are people working as accident reconstruction experts, engineers, medical practitioners, highway safety specialists, and the like. Expert witnesses are hired by personal injury attorneys who have the right amount of experience to win your lawsuit.

To say that one witness is more valuable over the other is not valid. This is simply because both types of witnesses can provide valuable information about a personal injury case.

When You Do Not Know the Witness 

If you get injured in a public place, the chances of a few people witnessing are very high. In such a scenario, you should be able to find one individual who will be ready to make a statement for you. The following pieces of information must be noted down immediately:

  • Name, address, and contact information of the observer
  • Testimonial of the accident in their own words
  • In case they do not feel comfortable, you must write down the incident and ask them to sign it

 

When You Know the Witness 

In most accidents, there is one or two people accompanying the person who has been injured in a workplace or public area. Taking this into account, it is recommended to prepare them before filing for a personal injury lawsuit. For this purpose, here are some useful steps:

  • Ask them to speak about the accident that they witnessed
  • Help them in remembering key details about the location of the accident, people involved, time, and duration
  • Write down their testimonial and get it signed in case they need to travel in the near future
  • If they are available to appear in court, then make them feel as comfortable as possible. Pressurizing witnesses to speak in front of a judge is not a good practice.

Things to Remember as a Personal Injury Witness 

In your everyday life, you might observe an accident taking place in an official setting, public place, etc. The following five points will help you understand your role as a witness:

  1. Help the individual who has been injured by providing them with medical assistance
  2. Provide your name and contact details in case this person wishes to file a personal injury lawsuit
  3. Try to click photographs of the incident, especially when it happens with your friend, colleague, or family member
  4. In a serious accident, the right move would be to write down your observations immediately. You can also make a voice memo on your smartphone as it will help in proving the personal injury later.
  5. Show up in court as and when needed. It will be a huge blessing for the person who has suffered from a personal injury to get their due compensation.

In case you know someone, who has faced this legal issue, they can reach out to our personal injury experts at Siler & Ingber on 516-294-2666.

Share this post

OFFICIAL RULES

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN.

PROMOTION PERIOD: The Siler & Ingber Mineola MegaStar Contest begins on March 20, 2023 at 12:00 am ET and
ends on May 1, 2023 at 11:59 PM ET.

ELIGIBILITY: To be eligible, a MegaStar must be a legal U.S. resident at least 16 years of age as of date of
Nomination. A Mineola MegaStar is defined as a person who lives or works in Mineola and is admired or idealized for their courage, dedication, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. By participating, Entrants agree to be
bound by the official rules. Sponsors reserve the right to verify and determine eligibility in their sole discretion.

TO PARTICIPATE: During the Promotion Period, Siler & Ingber will accept from the members of the public (herein, the “Nominators”) nominations of Eligible Entrants (Mineola Megastars) who live or works in Mineola. Nominations may be entered by visiting www.nylawnet.com/mineolamegastar and completing the online form and essay submission or by emailing photo and essay to marketing@nylawnet.com during the Promotion Period to receive one (1) entry. Essay must not exceed 500 words. Acceptable essay formats are word documents or pdf ONLY. Nominations submitted without all required information or after the Promotion Period will be disregarded.
Online submissions must be received by May 1, 2023 at 11:59 PM ET to be eligible. All entries become the exclusive property of Siler & Ingber and will not be acknowledged or returned.

ESSAY: During the promotion period, an Entrant can nominate a Mineola MegaStar for the contest by submitting a
photo and essay. The essay must describe why the individual should be chosen as the award winner, including how the individual demonstrates some or all of the following qualifications:

1) an inspiring example to others by helping make Mineola a better place to live (through volunteerism, extra-curricular actives, special projects, giving back, etc.)

2) going above and beyond to aid a friend, family member, stranger or community in a time of need; and/or

3) love of profession and desire, determination and diligence to help outside of normal job responsibilities. The essay must be in English and no more than 500 words. All information provided must be truthful, accurate and complete. An Entrant cannot nominate more than one Hero.

Submitted Materials: Each essay must satisfy all the following submission requirements the Submission


Requirements:

· The essay must be the original creation of Entrant.

· The essay must not portray any recognizable individual without their prior consent, including consent from the
Hero.

· Entrant must either own all rights to the essay or otherwise have the right to submit the essay in the contest and to provide the rights to Sage Surfaces as set forth herein.

· The essay must not infringe any third party’s intellectual property rights.

· The essay may not contain illegal, indecent, obscene, pornographic, or sexually explicit content, or otherwise offensive material or inappropriate content such as aberrational behavior, graphic violence, drug abuse, or nudity.

· The essay must not promote bigotry, racism, hatred or harm against any group or individual or discrimination based on race, gender, religion, nationality, disability, sexual orientation or age.

· The essay must be non-defamatory and must not invade any third party’s right of privacy or publicity.

· The essay must otherwise be appropriate for publication or broadcast or display on a general interest website.

By submitting an essay, each Entrant represents and warrants that the essay meets all of the submission
requirements and that the distribution, reproduction, display and any other uses of any part of the essay by Siler & Ingber as permitted herein will not infringe any third-party rights. Each Entrant further agrees to indemnify and hold Siler & Ingber harmless from and against any and all claims, demands, damages, costs, liabilities and causes of action of whatsoever nature that are based upon or arise out of any breach by such Entrant of such warranties or representations made by contestant or of these official rules.

By submitting an essay, Entrant grants to Siler & Ingber a non-exclusive, perpetual, world-wide, royalty-free license (and waives all moral rights in and to the essay) to display or otherwise use the essay in connection with this promotion and as set forth herein. If Siler & Ingber determines, in its sole discretion and at any time during the promotion period, that any nomination violates the submission requirements, is otherwise unsuitable, offensive, or in poor taste, or violates these official rules, Siler & Ingber reserves the right to remove and disqualify the essay. Siler & Ingber retains sole
discretion as to whether any nomination satisfies the submission requirements and the official rules.

WINNER SELECTION: For the entry period, a panel of judges will select potential Mineola Megastar finalists based on the compelling nature of the essay based on the criteria set forth herein. Top 5 entries will be announced on May 10, 2023. We will post the top 5 on social media. Final winner announced May 15, 2023. Award Ceremony for Mineola MegaStar will take place on May 19, 2023.


WINNER NOTIFICATION AND RELEASES: We will attempt to notify potential winners via telephone and/or email. If a potential winner: (a) does not respond within 48 hours of initial notification attempt; (b) is not in compliance with these official rules, (c) does not meet the eligibility requirements, (d) declines the prize, he or she will be disqualified, and an alternate winner will be selected by applying the criteria set forth above.
PRIZES: There is 1 Mineola MegaStar. Winner will receive a $500 Cash Prize.

PUBLICITY AND MARKETING: Submission of a nomination in the contest constitutes permission to Siler & Ingber to use Entrants name, identity, title, likeness, distinctive appearance, physical likeness, image, portrait, picture, photograph (whether still or moving), screen persona, voice, vocal style, statements, gesture, mannerism, personality, performance characteristic, biographical data, signature, social media handles and identities, and any other indicia or imitation of identity or likeness for purposes of advertising and trade, in any medium, without further notice, approval, or compensation, unless prohibited by law.

PRIZE RESTRICTIONS: No transfer, assignment, sale, duplication, cash redemption or substitution of Prize (or portion of Prize) is permitted, except by Sponsors, which reserve the right to substitute a Prize (or applicable portion of Prize) with one of comparable or greater value, as determined by Sponsors. Sponsors are not responsible for and will not replace a lost or stolen Prize or any component thereof. All Prize details are at Sponsors’ sole and absolute discretion. Non-compliance with these Official Rules may result in disqualification and, at Sponsors’ sole discretion, the awarding of Prize to an alternate winner.

VERIFICATION OF OFFICIAL WINNER: ALL PRIZE WINNERS ARE SUBJECT TO ELIGIBILITY VERIFICATION BY SPONSORS, WHOSE DECISIONS ARE FINAL AND BINDING IN ALL MATTERS RELATED TO THE CONTEST.

Do I Have A Case

    Skip to content