A good witness can mean the difference between recovering damages after a motor vehicle accident and being liable to the other party for their damages. But finding witnesses can be a challenge.
Here are a few things to keep in mind.
Time is of the essence
Locating a witness days or months after an accident can be difficult. Even if you’re able to find the witness, the person may no longer remember the details of the accident. Furthermore, a significant time lapse affects the witness’s credibility in the eyes of the judge and jury.
Even though you will understandably be shaken up following your accident, you’ll want to begin the process of identifying witnesses as soon as you are able to ensure that you’re safe.
Types of witnesses
The most obvious witnesses to a car accident are the passengers of the vehicles involved in the collision. However, because these individuals are often friends and family members of the drivers, their statements, while important, are less credible.
On the other hand, there are often a number of unbiased and sometimes overlooked witnesses to an accident such as:
- Pedestrians
- Drivers and passengers in other vehicles
- People in adjacent buildings
- Emergency responders
Keep in mind that even if a witness didn’t observe the actual collision, they may still be able to provide valuable information.
For example, a witness may have observed one of the drivers failing to use their turn signal. Similarly, a witness who didn’t observe the actual collision may have seen that one of the drivers appeared injured or inebriated after the accident. Witnesses might also overhear damaging statements made by drivers or passengers that, depending on the circumstances, might be admissible in court.
Information to get from witnesses
Witnesses are notoriously difficult to track down after an accident. For this reason, it’s important to obtain as much contact information as possible from each witness. This includes their:
- Home and work addresses
- Home and work telephone numbers
- Telephone numbers of someone close to the witness (such as a spouse)
Once you obtain the witness’s contact information, you will want to determine:
- Where the witness was positioned at the time of the accident
- What the witness saw and heard
- Where the witness was coming from and going to
If the witness is cooperative and their statements support your claim, ask them to draft and sign a brief statement recounting what they saw. Some cell phones even have voice recording programs that you can use to obtain a recorded statement. Keep in mind that you want the witness to be on your side. So, if the witness seems uncomfortable or agitated, simply take down their contract information and avoid pushing the envelope.
Tweet thisFinally, be sure to alert the responding police officer to any helpful witnesses. Most police officers will attempt to locate and speak to witnesses on their own, but you don’t want to leave such an important task entirely up to them.
Finding witnesses long after an accident
As mentioned above, identifying and locating a witness days or months after an accident can be challenging. However, there are a couple of resources that might help:
Police reports
Police reports are available to the public (the process of obtaining a police report varies by state). The police report will list all witnesses identified by the responding officer along with their contact information.
Canvasing the scene
If there is no police report (or you believe there are additional unidentified witnesses), you can canvas the scene. Revisit the scene at the same time of day as the accident. Take a look at what’s around.
Are there people waiting for the bus who may have been waiting for the bus at the time of the accident? Who’s in the office that overlooks the spot where the accident occurred?
Put on your detective hat and attempt to locate possible witnesses.
Other witnesses
One witnesses often leads to additional witnesses. Ask each witness you locate whether they remember anyone else at the scene.
What to do if you still can’t find witnesses?
Identifying and locating witnesses can be a real challenge, particularly when a lot of time has elapsed. Keep in mind that attorneys have a number of search tools at their disposal to locate witnesses. Moreover, attorneys can issue subpoenas to procure statements from uncooperative witnesses.
If you’re having trouble identifying and locating witnesses, don’t think you have to do it alone. Contact a personal injury lawyer sooner rather than later.
Have you attempted to find a witness after an accident? Were you a witness to a crash?
Tell us about your experiences in the comments below.
Cristoper cabrera says
I am looking for anyone that had witnessed a motorcycle accident on oldkeen mill rd. I was riding South bound ear the medical center.when a Honda civic made a turn in front of me. I tried to avoid her best possible but I still hit her on the left side.. when I went to pick up to get it out the road. The car that I was in an accident with decided to leave the scene. I had to follow her until finally she stopped.. the police did not give her a ticket for leaving the scene. An I had lost my witness. Pls. I need help.
Cristoper Cabrera says
I was in a motorcycle accident July 15 ,2019 around 6:50 _7:00 p.m. I was riding on oldkeen mill rd. South bound. Passing the school and the medical center .a Honda civic made a right turning in to the lane I was in.i tried to avoid her best as possible but I still hit her on the left side of her car. After the impact. I went to pick up my motorcycle to get it out of the way.a witness had stop and ask if I was ok. At the same time I see the person I was involved in an accident with starting to leave ygr Sean. I thought she was just going to full over but she kept going and made a right on carrleigh pkwy. So I started my bike and followed her hunk my horn several time until she finally stopped where the road meets traford lane.unfortunetly I had lost my witness. Because of this. With that being said pls. I am looking for anyone that had witnessed this accident. Please. Email me or report it to th ed nearest police station.thank you..
PETER HETTISH says
I seek out a individual who witnessed my accident on july 10th at the intersection canoga and Saticoy the gentleman was driving a black range rover super flashy
PETER HETTISH says
also this intersection is a photo enforced my insurance company says they never have tried to obtain a photo this photo will show clearly that she ran the red light
Ian Pisarcik says
Peter,
You might consider contacting an attorney in your area. An attorney will be able to investigate the accident and obtain any photos that might have been taken.
Gloria says
Fri night 10:15pm
Deer on memorial drive accident between pale car then a red car colliding from behind .. any witnesses most appreciated . 0422696391
Brendon says
On October 12th 2019 some guy in a white Nissan suv rear ended me and pushed me into two other cars. Not only is my car wrecked but he’s filed a claim against me claiming I cut him off and that one of the passengers in his car was injured. I’ve sent pictures of the vehicles to his insurance agency and also a police report but now I need a witness and this accident happened almost two weeks ago. Does anyone know how I would be able to find a witness for a testimony in an accident that wasn’t my fault
Melissa Gold says
Hi, Brendon. That’s a great question, and I’m sorry to hear this happened but glad you’re ok.
Unfortunately, finding a witness for an accident two weeks ago is going to be difficult. There are a few issues: One is that you’re unlikely to locate passers-by or other motorists at this point. The second is that people’s memories become fuzzy about the details. Especially when it didn’t happen to them, the likelihood that a stranger is going to remember the details of how an accident occurred weeks ago is slim.
But, if the photos and the police report don’t tell the story or provide enough evidence, you do still have a few options. One is to return to the scene of the accident and see if there’s anyone who was there at the time. If the accident happened in front of a home or business, for example, there’s a chance that someone who’s in that place every day at the particular time might have witnessed it. If there are businesses nearby, walk in and ask if anyone there witnessed the accident and how much they remember.
The second option is to see if any of the businesses or homes nearby have surveillance video that might’ve captured anyone as a witness. The challenge is that most businesses (and residents, too) likely purge their digital surveillance videos after a certain amount of time, but you could approach them and ask if they have any footage around the time the accident happened. If so, you’d still need to find a way to identify the individuals in the video. The business might be able to do so if they’re their staff or customers, but the business is also not legally obligated to do so.
It sounds like you already have access to the police report, so if there aren’t witnesses listed there, the police won’t have additional records. It’s unfortunate that so much time has passed because that does limit your ability to find credible witnesses. You could contact the drivers of the other involved vehicles (the ones in front of you) and see if those drivers either gathered names of witnesses or could be witnesses, themselves, if they happened to see how the accident happened.
If each of these attempts is unsuccessful, your next call could be to a personal injury lawyer. Sometimes lawyers have ways of finding witnesses that you might not have considered. Certainly, a lawyer can help you best present the evidence to mitigate your liability for the collision. Most personal injury lawyers offer an initial free consultation, so you can get a better sense of what can be done about the liability issues. Enjuris provides a free Personal Injury Law Firm Directory that can help you find a lawyer near you. Best of luck!
Sol Koppel says
I am looking for a witness to a car accident that happened on 09/21/2018 on 491(Locanto Hway) and W Murray St. at approximately at 9:00Pm. I was traveling south in the inner lane of 491. A black car was stopped in the inner lane of 491 going north. A car drove up going north and stopped behind the car currently in the inner lane also going north.
I made a left turn onto W. Murray St. At that time the car that was stopped behind the car in the inner left lane going north revved up his engine, turned his wheel to the right and rushed into the outer lane going north on 491. I’m sure that this other car noticed that I had made my left turn onto W. Murray St. However, with disregard he keep coming at a rapid pace and crashed into the very tip of my vehicle taking out my complete front end.
I would appreciate you contacting me to hopefully get your viewpoints on just what your may remember of this accident.
Ian Pisarcik says
Good luck, Sol!
Are there any businesses located on the street where the accident occurred? If so, it may be worth stopping by and asking the employees if they saw anything.
Sol Koppel says
From Florida
At approximately 9:00 PM on Friday, September 21,2018 there was a auto accident on SR 491 and Murray St. in Beverly Hills Florida. There was a witness to this accident, an auto waiting for the green light in the inner lane going north. This case is still not settled, and I would like to get the witnesses version of how the accident took place. I would let the witness know how to get in touch with me to hopefully get his/her statement. Thanks much for your attention to this matter!
I was previously able to place the above information in trying to find a witness. Seems as tough you changed you site, and this kind of info can not be used to locate a witness.
Melissa Gold says
Hello, Sol. I’m so sorry to hear that you were involved in an accident. I can understand your frustration that this has continued for such a long time. However, if the accident was nearly 2 years ago, I think your likelihood of finding a viable witness is low. Even if you’re able to track down a witness after such a long time, my guess is that the person won’t remember the specifics of the accident at this point. Memories fade quickly — and sometimes even people who’s lives have changed because of an accident or incident fail to remember important details after a period of months or years. Someone who was “just” a witness, or who was peripherally involved, might not be able to credibly answer questions under oath.
Still, if you’re determined to try to find this person, you’d have to see if their name is included in the police report or any other documentation of the accident at the time. It looks as though this area is mixed with residences and businesses. If the witness was someone who lives at that intersection, you might be able to contact them. If it was a passerby or someone visiting a business in the area, it seems unlikely that you’d be able to get in touch with them after 2 years.
If you don’t already have a lawyer working on this case, you’re welcome to use the Enjuris law firm directory to find an attorney in Florida who can help. Best of luck!
Injured driver says
Anyone witness an accident on 8th Street and Bonnie Brae on 12/9/19? This woman in white SUV ran a red light and slammed into me, totaling my car and injuring me. Please come forward if you saw.
Thank you
Ian Pisarcik says
I hope you find someone who witnessed this accident. If there were any businesses nearby, consider stopping in to politely ask if anyone saw anything.
Ali says
What if you witness an accident but weren’t able to stop? Who do you contact? I saw an accident and the driver who was hit was clearly at fault. I tried calling the police immediately after it happened, but no one answered.
Ian Pisarcik says
Ali,
You should contact the police office in the county where the accident occurred. Be ready to provide the date of the accident and the location of the accident. If you can’t get in touch with a police officer over the telephone, you can try stopping by the office.
Truman Samuel says
A dump truck driver knowingly turned his cab in front of my car sitting in the right hand lane waiting for the light to change at an intersection. His lane sign was LEFT HAND LANE MUST TURN LEFT. This driver needed to make a wide left turn, and so he simply cut his cab in front of me and damaged my car. I have given pictures of the incident to my insurance company so they determined I am not at fault. Accident date 1/09/2019
There was a witness in the car behind me who stayed and spoke with the police. HOWEVER, the police department refuses to let me or any insurance company know how to contact the witness. Reason cited is DPPA…Driver’s Privacy Protection Act of 1994.
A witness willing to participate when needed expressly implies there is no need for privacy protection. How can the DPPA in this case be an appropriate means for police to disallow identity of a witness to an insurance company? I would appreciate comments from anyone who has knowledge or experience with my problem.
Ian Pisarcik says
I hope you find a witness! Remember to check the buildings around the area (e.g., offices where someone might have seen the accident through their office window).
Angela says
I am looking for a witness to an accident that happened 11/18/19. It occurred about 1230 pm close to the intersection of 44th and 47th Avenue. I was driving a white truck and was hit by a commercial van heading eastbound. He smacked into the side of my rental. He crossed into my lane I believe because he was on the phone. Please help if you saw this accident.
Ian Pisarcik says
Good luck, Angela. I hope you find some witnesses. Did you happen to notice anything about the commercial van (logo on the side, etc.?). Were there any businesses nearby? If so, perhaps one of the employees saw something?
Guillermo García says
Nice blog. Thanks for sharing this useful information.
Ian Pisarcik says
Thanks for the comment Guillermo!
Janyce A Breuninger says
Looking for a witness to an accident April 20,2020 State road 200 and 95th street. Two gentlemen told me they saw what happened,however I did not get names because I was put in an ambulance
Ian Pisarcik says
Janyce,
I hope you find the witnesses. Did the police come to the scene? If so, the witness names might be in the police report.
Janyce A Breuninger says
praying that I do, The Florida Highway patrol showed up about one hour after the accident. The paramedics were there first, Officer said paramedics do not collect information. I believe the witnesses left while I was in the ambulance
Melissa Gold says
Hello, Janyce. I’m sorry you were in an accident. You should request a copy of the police report. Paramedics don’t collect witness information; it’s their job to provide medical evaluation and treatment to people who were injured. But it is part of the responding police officer’s job to take information from witnesses. It’s definitely challenging to find witnesses after an accident has been cleared. If the accident was recent, you might wish to check with nearby businesses or residences (if it was in a parking lot or area that’s close to one) to see if they have any video surveillance footage of the scene that might have captured the accident. Unfortunately, if the accident happened a while ago, that likely won’t be helpful.
While witness testimony is important, there are other ways accident investigators can piece together what happened. Please feel free to use the Enjuris law firm directory to find a Florida lawyer who can help you find ways to recover. Take care!
SADI says
I had a car accident on june 11 ,at 11.40am at Richmond and Gessner ,a car hit me on the drivers side and left the scene ,if anyone witnessed that accident ,please contact me
Melissa Gold says
Hello, Sadi. I am sorry to hear that happened. If you’re looking for witnesses, I’d return to the scene of the accident and check with any businesses or residences nearby to see if they have surveillance footage from the time of the accident. Unfortunately, since we’re so far past June 11th, it might be difficult, as video tends to get deleted if the owner doesn’t know there’s a reason to maintain it. However, accidents don’t happen every day… you might be fortunate enough to find someone who works in or frequents that area who remembers seeing it happen. Best of luck. I hope you’re able to get the information you need.
Frank says
From Virginia
On 10/15/2020, in the afternoon at 4:40pm, my wife was driving home on I-495 in northern Virginia area. Due to the pandemic, the traffic was very light. My wife was driving in the right lane (I-495 has 4 lanes in this section). My wife’s c was hit by a trailer from behind, which caused massive damage. The impact sent my wife car toward left lane (the I-495 was curved toward right at this section). In the left lane, my wife’s car was again hit from behind by a RAM truck, which caused massive damage to the driver’s side front end. As the result, driver’s side side-air bag was deployed. The impact sent my wife’s car’s front end back to the right lane where her car’s passenger side front end hits the body of the trailer.
The police report says that my wife’s car was behind the trailer when the accident happened. The report says that it was my wife’s car that hit the back end of the trailer and then my wife tried to avoid the trailer and turned into the left lane where the RAM truck hit the rear end of my wife’s car. The police report was obviously wrong because it failed to explain the massive damage that my wife’s car received on the driver’s side frond end. The police told us that we don’t need to believe his story. He just wrote the report based on his interview with the other drivers (only 3 vehicles involved, no other witness). When my wife got out of her car, she took 10 very detailed pictures of the damages that her car suffered. The damage to her car’s driver side front end was huge and wheel almost fell off. The police have scheduled a hearing. Is there any way that we can convince the judge that we are not guilty?
Andy Zada says
From California
i was. hit by a car on February 18 2020 in Santa Clara on de la Cruz and martin ave i. was hit in the crosswalk while my car was at jet black tint
please email me if. you have the information. please
zadaandy12342GMAIL.COM
Ian Pisarcik says
I’m sorry this happened to you. If there are businesses near by, it might be worth checking to see if anyone who works in the buildings saw anything. Regardless, you should report the incident to the police.
Darlene Smith says
From Oregon
I was struck by a vehicle owned by HUD Housing and the woman driving is now denying she hit me, I already checked with Post Office where the accident took place and they do not have cameras outside. I am posted a public message on facebook no witnesses yet but good comments and thoughts from some. Any ideas to help. the agency is self-insured and are completely backing their employee without even considering my pictures and evidence. Have an appt with an attorney. It is not fair to have to pay an attorney to get reimbursed from something that wasn’t my fault to begin with. Also being accused of lying is like being victimized all over again..
Ngeo says
From Virginia
I witnessed an accident today, 10/2/21 at 7:00pm, on Route 66 heading East bound. It was right before exit 60 for route 123. A black SUV type vehicle sped past me on the right (I was in the middle lane), and unsafely cut in front of me, and as another vehicle in the left lane was trying to get to the middle lane, the vehicle that cut me off tried to get back to the right lane. In doing so, he hit a white Mercedes Benz on the left side. The Mercedes Benz had a blond female driver. Mercedes plates began with VFG (from the best I can tell). Then the black SUV exited on the ramp going to 123. It looked like he was trying to get away. If you need more information, I’d be glad to give my account to what I witnessed.
Stoxin says
From Washington
Anyone who witnessed the accident on 11/11/21 at approximately. 10:35am on n 145th going eastbound at the light one block before aurora ave n in Seattle where a primer Grey Ford p/u hit a black suv at the light please reply
Melissa Gold says
Hello, there. It’s a good idea to try to find witnesses who might have observed an accident, but you might need a more targeted approach. I’d suggest contacting any residents or businesses in the immediate area directly, because they might have some sense of who was coming or going at that time. They might also have video footage that shows what happened or events leading up to it. Best of luck.
Chuck says
From New
I was the victim in a car accident whereby I had the green light at the intersection of the Long Island Expressway East, South Service Road, and Shelter Rock Rd. South on Sunday, 1/23/22 about 2:45 P.M. I was t-boned by another car going southbound on Shelter Rock and ran the red light. Witness(es), please reply to this comment. Thank you.