Liability matters require exceptional attention to detail. Whether the liability pertains to a traffic accident, trip and fall incident or some other personal injury matter, a thorough investigation is essential to effectively capture the big picture and develop a 360 ° perspective of the case.
Onsite investigations allow one to assess the site of the incident for the particular circumstances surrounding and attributing to a claim. For instance, in an auto accident, the investigator can observe the pattern and flow of traffic in the area, check for potential blind spots, observe the posted speed limit and note any surveillance cameras that may have captured the incident on video. Photographs taken on site can be beneficial in capturing the placement and perspectives of the parties involved. These tactics can help better visualize how the incident might have transpired.
Canvassing the neighborhood and speaking to neighbors or other individuals in the area who may have witnessed the incident can prove beneficial to a case. Speaking with these potential witnesses can help identify what transpired during the incident and may help identify additional leads for information about the situation.
Often times a more thorough set of witness statements need to be obtained to document what occurred from various perspectives. By conducting a thorough onsite investigation, the investigator can construct appropriate interview questions for those identified witnesses.
The information gathered from a thorough onsite investigation, neighborhood canvass and carefully conducted witness statements can be used to consider the next course of action on the case. This can include conducting background investigations, locating and serving documents to involved parties, obtaining records such as traffic collision reports, surveillance footage, 911 response calls and preserving relevant, publically available, online content.
Conducting onsite investigations, neighborhood canvasses and witness statements in the early stages of a case is essential. Early investigations allow the preservation of information and evidence while it still exists or while it is still remembered clearly. If fact finding is deferred to when a case goes to trial, it is highly likely that the conditions have changed: witnesses moved, buildings and structures have changed or no longer exist, surveillance footage may have been recorded over, witness recollection may be less clear and online content could have been removed or limited. Therefore, it is important to note that early and thorough onsite investigations, along with preserving witness statements, is a good foundation of any case. ~
Keystone Investigative Services understands insurance claims and the legal process. We conduct thorough onsite investigations to document, secure resources, locate witnesses and obtain statements professionally and efficiently. Contact our office today for a complementary strategy session and quote. (626) 676-5170, www.keystoneis.com