The Importance of Worksite Accident Witnesses

Finding a witness to a worksite accident resulting in injury or property harm is of the utmost importance to contractors. A worksite accident witness is an integral component for the defense. They can discern the chain of events such as where the worker was and what they were doing or what they were working on the moment prior to the accident.

Work-site injury procedures and steps to finding a witness: take police, fire, and EMS statements and records AND:

• Talk to the staff and acquire names and contact info of potential witnesses who could have been at the scene.
• Ask for a complete list of all the workers on the project.
• Look at certified payroll documents and lists of persons working on the day of the accident on CCIP- Contractor Controlled Insurance Program
• Observe the scene at the same time the incident happened. In addition, observe mailmen or delivery men who may be a witness to the case. Look at the scene at the same time the incident happened.

Find people who can give detailed information about the project, interaction between workers, and behavior of the general contractor to piece the clues together to present to a judge and jury.

A worksite incident form should have a section dedicated to identifying the witness and relaying their account of the accident. Next, statements from a witness should be taken as soon after the incident as possible.  The sooner you can locate a worksite accident witness, the better for all parties involved.  The clearer their memory, the more details they will be able to share regarding the incident.

Still want more info? If you would like to take a deeper dive into this issue or perhaps require assistance developing a worksite incident/day of loss reporting protocol including witness statements, contact a Risk Advisor today by Clicking Here.