Obtaining a witness statement is one of the most important jobs a private investigator can have during a case assignment. Locating and interviewing witnesses on the record is a crucial part of an investigation to document the witness’ version of an event as soon as possible after a claim is made. Read on to discover more about the importance of these documents.
According to the Private Investigator Info website, a witness statement is a signed statement “taken orally with the investigator leading the witness through a series of general questions about the nature of an accident or incident.” The investigator usually writes the signed statement as if the witness was writing it themselves and then the witness signs and dates the document.
What does the statement cover? It usually has information confirming the who, what, when, where and why of an incident. It contains the witness’ official account of the events that transpired.
“Signed statements must be given freely and should not be done in exchange for monetary compensation (which may call into question the validity of the facts contained therein) or under coercion (which is illegal). Signed statements are important, since they commit the witness to exactly what they saw and make it very difficult to change their story later on without obviously contradicting themselves on the record.”
Why take a witness statement? There are many reasons why witness statements are so important, but chief among them is to provide evidence in a case. This evidence can be used in insurance investigations, documenting slander and libel occurrences, and also in criminal investigations of all types.
It is a private detective’s job to track down witnesses and take a witness statement. The worth of a quality statement cannot be overestimated during a court case. The credibility, memory and personality credentials of a witness collected through their statement is important if a case goes to trial.
Source: Private Investigator Info