Three Ways To Discredit A Witness For The Defendant In A Car Accident Case
One of the biggest challenges when you're taking legal action after a car accident is dealing with any witnesses that the defendant's attorneys dig up. Witnesses can strengthen your case and encourage the other side to agree to a settlement promptly, but witnesses for the defendant can draw out the legal process and threaten the success of your suit. Fortunately, you can work with your attorney and his or her team of investigators to discredit one or more of the witnesses for the defendant and bolster your case. Here are some ways that you discredit a witness.
Questioning A Witness's Position
One of the ways to work at discrediting a witness for the defendant is to suggest that he or she wasn't where he or she is reporting to have been. You could state that you had a clear vision of the intersection at the moment of impact, for example, and that you didn't see any witness on the traffic island in front of you. If the witness is stating that he or she was indeed in that location, it's possible that the witness isn't being truthful. An aggressive line of questioning from your attorney may reveal holes in the witness's story, which will help your case.
Finding A Link Between The Witness And Defendant
Legal situations can be challenging when the witness and the defendant know each other. In such scenarios, the witness might be eager to exaggerate a little in order to help the other person. In a small town, you might have knowledge of whether the witness and the defendant know each other. Otherwise, you and your legal professionals can work at learning more about these two people. If you notice that the two people are Facebook friends, for example, it may discredit what the witness has to say.
Describing Challenging Environmental Conditions
If your team can paint a picture of the environment at the time of your car accident, it may call into question the witness's alleged ability to see. A prime example is an accident that occurs at night. If the collision took place in an area that was poorly lit, it may have been difficult for the witness to see every detail. While he or she may have turned to look upon hearing the collision, this isn't as valuable to the defendant as someone who actually saw the impact. By aggressively discussing how the environment may have impeded the witness's vision, your car accident attorney may be able to discredit him or her.