What if there were no witnesses? Can I still sue?
Emery Brett Ledger's Answer
Full Transcript
Below is an AI-generated transcript of the video answer.
Hi, I'm attorney Emory Ledger. I've practiced law for over 28 years and I'm licensed in California,
Washington, and Texas. Here's a question I hear all the time. What if there were no witnesses?
Can I still sue? Yes, absolutely. A lot of people think that if nobody stopped,
nobody gave a statement, and nobody saw the crash, then the case is over. That is not how it works.
A personal injury case can still be proven without eyewitnesses.
California courts recognize that proof can come from things like medical bills,
photos, videos, and business records. And they also make clear that you do not have to have
every piece of evidence gathered before a case starts. Some of that evidence is obtained later
through discovery. So the real question is not, were there witnesses? The real question is,
what evidence exists and how fast can we preserve it? That can include photographs of the scene,
damage to the vehicles, surveillance footage, medical records, and other documents that help
tell the story. In other words, no witnesses does not mean no case. It just means the case has to
be built the right way. The biggest mistake people make is assuming they should do nothing because
nobody else was there. That is exactly backwards. When there are no witnesses, early action matters
even more. So if you were hurt and you're not sure what...