Contacting Witnesses on the back of Incident Investigations: The NetWatch Advantage

Witnesses are often the key to unlocking a comprehensive understanding of an incident which can corroborate or challenge the accounts of those directly involved. However, not all witnesses to an incident will stay at the scene, or have their details captured within an eventual police road traffic accident report. They may though make themselves known via a social media upload; locating and reaching these witnesses can sometimes be a challenge. This is where NetWatch’s Incident Investigations come into play.

Once we have identified potential witnesses to the collision via their own social media uploads or any comments, they have made on another’s post, we are able to trace publicly available contact information for them via national databases and our in-house tools.

We can then proceed to make contact with the witness. This process must be handled with care and professionalism to ensure that witnesses feel comfortable and willing to share their observations. It is of course understandable that witnesses may have some qualms about how their details have been obtained – and rest assured we can handle this for you.

When reaching out to witnesses, the approach is crucial. We initiate contact through a phone call or an email, or occasionally a letter, clearly identifying ourselves and the purpose of our communication. It is important to be respectful and to reassure the witness that their cooperation is valuable and can significantly impact the resolution of the claim. We explain the importance of their perspective and ensure them that their information will be handled confidentially.

We have a high success rate, and once basic facts have been established with the witness, the next step involves assessing how the incident came to occur, the extent of damage to the vehicles and any injuries sustained by the parties involved. For instance, a witness might note if a driver appeared to be speeding or if a pedestrian suddenly stepped into the roadway, details that might not be immediately evident to the case. Here we can also obtain copies of any photographs or dashcam footage that the witness holds, which provides that extra layer of evidence to support your claim.