Understanding what happened and when in regard to a workplace injury is a critical component during incident investigations. That’s where witness statements come in.
Recently, MEM talked with Claims Field Service Manager Terri Sweeten about the importance of witness statements after an injury happens. In her nearly 29 years with MEM, she’s seen what makes a witness statement so important.
Why are they important?
Capturing information soon after an incident ensures all the information needed to process a claim is available. It can also help businesses identify potential hazards that need addressed. Documenting the information reduces the risk of missing or forgetting key details. As time passes between an incident and the report, – it’s easier to forget specifics.
When people remember the past, they remember it with varying degrees of clarity according to a study published in the journal Psychological Science.
That’s why having a witness statement immediately following an incident is so important.
What makes a good witness statement?
The purpose of a witness statement is to preserve the who, what, when, where, and how, Sweeten said. The more detailed the statement, the easier it will be to recall the facts when needed later.
“It should be an unbiased account of what happened at the incident,” Sweeten said. “What we are looking for on that is to preserve the evidence in that unbiased viewpoint.”
What information should be included besides the events witnessed?
Witness statements should be collected in written form, because then they can be used in a court of law later. Another reason to have statements in writing is because witnesses may relocate. Include a phone number on the witness statement, an address and a signature.
How are witness statements used?
Sometimes it can take years before the statements are used, Sweeten said.
“Sometimes we find that a person has moved or is no longer employed so it becomes difficult to find them,” Sweeten said. “If they are a key witness in an incident, the employer really needs to get forwarding contact information.”
Want to learn more about incident investigation?
Check out our Eyes on the Scene webinar focusing on incident investigation.