Witnessing A Car Accident

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whambam
whambam Posts: 508 Forumite
in Motoring
If you witness a car accident can both the cars in front prosecute you for failing to stop and being a witness to a small car accident or big?

I guess they would need your car registration plate to give to the police to find you?

Is it at your discretion or mandatory to be a witness to an accident to the police? Personally, I don't want to get involved as I don't want to take sides and potential be a target after the event as people burn your car, damage it and assault you if they see you again walking down the street.

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  • debtdebt
    debtdebt Posts: 949 Forumite
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    No, you can't be forced to be a witness.

    I hope people are just as unhelpful if you ever get involved in an accident and need a witness to back up your version of events.
  • AdrianC
    AdrianC Posts: 42,189 Forumite
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    whambam wrote: »
    Personally, I don't want to get involved as I don't want to take sides and potential be a target after the event as people burn your car, damage it and assault you if they see you again walking down the street.
    Seriously...?
  • Warwick_Hunt
    Warwick_Hunt Posts: 1,179 Forumite
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    debtdebt wrote: »
    No, you can't be forced to be a witness.

    I hope people are just as unhelpful if you ever get involved in an accident and need a witness to back up your version of events.

    Well technically you can be but it's unlikely to happen for a minor bump.
  • debtdebt
    debtdebt Posts: 949 Forumite
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    Yes you're right. In a criminal investigation. you can be summonsed by the Police or CPS.

    In a civil claim, if you've not given a witness statement, neither party can order you to provide a statement.
  • bigadaj
    bigadaj Posts: 11,531 Forumite
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    Interesting posting history, seems like an appropriate user name.
  • CHR15
    CHR15 Posts: 5,193 Forumite
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    Perhaps OP was one of the cars behind me who saw some chump decide to take an early exit from a roundabout from the right hand lane and clout into the side of my car.

    Despite so many who would have seen what happened, nobody stopped. By the time I had parked up they had all moved on.

    My Insurance say as it was a roundabout it is 50/50 liability, which I refused to accept.
    3 Months later and still no resolution.

    And all because nobody was prepared to simply say what happened, no "taking sides" involved, just say what happened.

    Be a good citizen OP and say what you saw.
  • Ebe_Scrooge
    Ebe_Scrooge Posts: 7,320 Forumite
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    whambam wrote: »
    I don't want to get involved as I don't want to take sides


    As a witness you wouldn't - indeed mustn't - "take sides". You simply write down the facts as you saw them, and let the insurance companies make of them what they will. E.G. "Car A was stationary and car B ran into the back of car A". Importantly, you absolutely MUST NOT give any opinion of who was to blame in your view. You simply state the facts - no more, no less.
  • debtdebt
    debtdebt Posts: 949 Forumite
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    When I was in practice, I was always taught that there is never any property in a witness i.e. they never belong to any party and shouldn't take sides. They should merely state what they saw.
  • Car_54
    Car_54 Posts: 8,213 Forumite
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    Ebe_Scrooge wrote: »
    As a witness you wouldn't - indeed mustn't - "take sides". You simply write down the facts as you saw them, and let the insurance companies make of them what they will. E.G. "Car A was stationary and car B ran into the back of car A". Importantly, you absolutely MUST NOT give any opinion of who was to blame in your view. You simply state the facts - no more, no less.

    Nonsense. You can give an opinion, but it will be ignored.
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