Securing Witnesses After a Syracuse, New York, Personal Injury Accident

Jed Dietrich, Esq., Recognized as a Best Lawyer in America and an America’s Top 100 Personal Injury Attorney, Has Spent His Entire Career Fighting for The Rights of Accident Victims in Syracuse and Across the Region. If You Have Been Injured in an Accident That Was Not Your Fault, the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. Could Help You File a Personal Injury Lawsuit and Assert Your Right to a Fair Recovery.

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You should never have to pay the price for an accident you did not cause.

Under New York state law, you could be entitled to file a lawsuit against the person or party who caused your accident. However, filing a lawsuit is often much easier than fighting and winning a lawsuit. Even if you have photographs and other evidence to support your claim, any question left unanswered could come back to haunt you, potentially coming at the cost of your settlement.

Eyewitness testimony could provide the clarity needed to build a better, stronger case, but tracking down bystanders and passersby can be a time-consuming and frustrating task.

You do not have to take your chances with missing evidence and uncooperative witnesses.

The Dietrich Law Firm P.C. has spent more than 20 years fighting and winning cases like yours. Since our founding in 2005, we have helped our clients in Syracuse and across the state secure more than $250 million in damages. We could help you, too. Please send us a message online or call us at 1-866-529-5334 to speak to a personal injury lawyer near Syracuse and begin exploring your best options for legal relief.

The Importance Of Eyewitness Testimony In Personal Injury Claims

Accidents are often far more complex than they may first appear.

After a high-speed crash or serious slip-and-fall accident, investigators will almost always try to identify eyewitnesses. Under most circumstances, eyewitnesses are considered neutral third parties whose observations can help resolve discrepancies between competing accounts. This is because, unlike the victim and the perpetrator, an eyewitness probably does not have any vested interest in the outcome of a claim.

In a typical personal injury claim, eyewitness testimony can be used to:

1. Corroborate your account;
2. Disprove false claims; and
3. Answer unresolved questions about events that occurred before, during, or after the accident.

Your ability to find reliable eyewitnesses for your claim could make the difference between a settlement and dismissal. Do not be afraid to get help. Call Jed Dietrich, Esq., today at 1-866-529-5334 to speak to an accident lawyer near Syracuse and schedule your 100% free, no-obligation consultation.

Securing Witnesses After A Syracuse, NY, Accident

Every accident is different, and the time, location, and circumstances of yours could easily influence your ability to find reliable eyewitnesses. If you are present at the scene of an accident or have the contact information of somebody who was, you should:

1. Ask for the first and last name;
2. Write down their phone number; and
3. Obtain any other contact information the witness is willing to provide.

However, it probably goes without saying that the immediate aftermath of an accident can be hectic and confusing. If you were seriously injured, tracking down eyewitnesses may not have been your first priority, especially if you had to leave in an ambulance. There is a chance you could obtain some information from a police report, but law enforcement-led investigations do not always prioritize the kinds of evidence and eyewitnesses important for a personal injury claim.

Trying to locate an eyewitness days or weeks after a crash can prove challenging, but it does not need to be. The Dietrich Law Firm P.C. could help you secure witnesses for your Syracuse personal injury claim by:

1. Working with law enforcement to identify eyewitnesses;
2. Issuing subpoenas to obtain surveillance footage from nearby businesses, homes, and traffic cameras;
3. Analyzing photographs, video recordings, and other evidence to identify potential eyewitnesses;
4. Conducting public records checks to name and locate missing eyewitnesses; and
5. Consulting expert witnesses to provide further clarity and additional context for your accident.

Working with a personal injury lawyer could make securing eyewitnesses for your claim easy, but you cannot afford to wait too long before taking action. Eyewitness testimony is not foolproof, and defense attorneys know it. The more time that goes by, the more likely the defense is to challenge a witness’s recall. Unless your witness has an ironclad memory, any small discrepancy in their narrative could thrust your case into jeopardy.

How Eyewitness Testimony Could Affect Your Settlement

If somebody else was responsible for your accident, you have a legal right to file a lawsuit against the person or party who caused your injuries. Lawyers, courts, and insurance companies use the term “damages” to describe the different kinds of compensation available in personal injury claims.

Your damages will be assessed in accordance with the circumstances of your claim and the severity of your injuries, but they could include:

1. Economic damages. Economic damages, sometimes called “special damages,” compensate verifiable financial losses. Your economic damages could include relief for your outstanding medical bills, payment for the cost of physical rehabilitation, or money for your long-term care needs.
2. Non-economic damages. Non-economic damages, or “general damages,” compensate subjective forms of pain, hardship, and loss. Some of the most common categories of general damages include pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment, and disfigurement.
3. Punitive damages. Unlike economic and non-economic damages, punitive damages are not compensatory. Instead, they can be awarded if the defendant’s negligence exceeded a certain standard of recklessness.

New York does not limit damages in most personal injury claims, but an eyewitness’s testimony could impact the size of your settlement in other ways. If, for instance, the eyewitness’s testimony contradicts yours, the court could find you partially or wholly at fault for the accident. Though contributory negligence does not bar recovery, any award you obtain could be reduced proportionately to your liability.

The Dietrich Law Firm P.C. knows what it takes to build a compelling, evidence-based case for compensation. A recognized U.S. News & World Report Best Law Firm, our experienced team of personal injury lawyers could help you assert your rights and reclaim your independence. Please contact us today at 1-866-529-5334 to speak to a personal injury attorney near Syracuse and schedule your free consultation as soon as possible.

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Call the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. immediately at 1-866-529-5334 so that our aggressive, tenacious, and hardworking personal injury lawyers can fight to obtain the best result for your personal injury claim in Syracuse, New York. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and there is never a fee until we WIN for you!

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