Witnessing A Car Accident

whambam

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.

debtdebt

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

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

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

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

Interesting posting history, seems like an appropriate user name.

CHR15

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

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

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

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.