What role does eyewitness testimony play in crash investigations?

Eyewitness testimony plays a significant role in crash investigations by offering additional perspectives on the events that occurred leading up to the crash. Witnesses can provide details about the behavior of the drivers, the actions taken just before the collision, and other contextual information that may not be captured by physical evidence alone, such as vehicle damage or skid marks. This subjective account can help investigators piece together a more comprehensive narrative of the incident.

While eyewitness accounts can indeed have limitations—such as memory distortion or bias—they can still be valuable in corroborating physical evidence or offering insights that might not be immediately apparent. In many cases, the combination of eyewitness testimony with physical evidence leads to a thorough understanding of the crash dynamics and helps establish liability. This is why utilizing eyewitness accounts is important, though they should be considered alongside other forms of evidence to obtain a well-rounded view of the circumstances surrounding the crash.