One of the most important things you can do at the scene of a car accident is to obtain witness information from any and all persons who may have seen exactly what has happened. The importance of independent witnesses cannot be overstated.
As numerous Houston car accident victims can tell you -just because the negligent party accepts responsibility at the scene does not mean that their insurance company will pay you. Further, as many victims can attest, often the negligent parties story changes from the accident scene to the time you make an insurance claim against their policy.
People who have admitted fault at the same sometimes turnaround and claim the accident happened completely the opposite way, and that responsibility lie with the innocent victim and not themselves. This is much more common than you could even imagine.
That is why the independent witness is so critically important in many cases. Sometimes obtaining independent witnesses name and address can't be done because the victim is being transported to the hospital with very serious injuries and is unable to gather the necessary information. Police officers are charged with the responsibility of obtaining witness statements, however in the hustle and bustle of the city and witnesses sometimes not sticking around, often no witnesses will be interviewed.
If you can, after Houston car accident obtain the telephone number and name of any and all witnesses to the accident. You'll be glad you did. Additionally, it is sometimes very helpful to take photos with your cell phone of the locations of the vehicles, before they are moved.
Whatever you can do to ensure that the story doesn't change usually is very helpful to your injury claim with the defendant's insurance company.
Greg Baumgartner is a Houston accident lawyer and the founder of the Baumgartner law firm, which is dedicated to helping injury victims seek civil justice. For a free no obligation consultation with a personal injury attorney in Houston call the Baumgartner firm.
