How Credibility Plays A Role In A Car Accident Case

If you were involved in a car accident and the case cannot be settled, it will probably end up in a courtroom. There, a jury will hear the case and will be left with the responsibility of deciding how to settle the case. As this occurs, the jury is likely to base their decision on several key factors, which include evidence, witness testimony, and credibility of those involved. Credibility can play a huge role in the outcome of the case, and this is something that is important to know before your case begins. Here are three ways credibility can affect the outcome of your car accident case.

Your Testimony vs. The Other Party

The first thing to realize is that when two parties are involved in a car accident, they may both have very different stories to tell. In other words, the story the other party tells is probably not going to match your story and vice versa. This is a very common scenario in all types of court cases, and it is often referred to as a "he said, she said" case.

What this means is that it is your story versus the other party's story, and which side will the jury believe? As the jurors listen to both sides of the story, they may begin to look for signs of credibility with each party. This is a strategy many lawyers often use too to help them win their cases. Your lawyer may try to prove that the other party is not credible, and this may be done by bringing up things in his or her past. The other party's attorney may do the same thing to you.

If the jurors do not know which story to believe, they will often lean towards believing the person that appears to be the most credible.

The Credibility Of The Eye Witnesses

When a car accident case lands in a courtroom, witnesses are often called in to testify, and there are two main types of witnesses. The first type is eye witnesses, and these are individuals that actually watched the car accident take place. If there are eye witnesses that back up your story, your lawyer will want them there to testify. Your attorney will ask them questions that verify your story, and this could help your case.

You should be aware that the opposing attorney will often try to disprove the witness' testimonies by making them seem like they are not credible witnesses. For example, the opposing attorney might destroy a person's credibility by revealing in court that he or she was not wearing glasses at the time the accident happened. If the witness has bad vision, this could destroy this person's testimony.

The Credibility Of The Expert Witnesses

Finally, if an expert witness is subpoenaed to testify in court, his or her testimony will also be judged on credibility. Expert witnesses used in car accident cases are often accident reconstruction experts. Their job is to provide a reconstruction of what took place during an accident, and they do this by examining all the physical evidence available.

Your lawyer's goal will be to prove the expert witness is credible, if his or her testimony benefits your case. If the expert witness's testimony is derogatory for your case, your lawyer will try to prove that he or she is not a credible witness.

Going through a car accident lawsuit can take time, but it may be worthwhile in the end if you win. If you would like more information about car accident settlements and how these cases work, contact a personal injury attorney today.