Finding the witnesses after a crash in Peoria before they scatter

Bus stop and gas station on a Peoria arterial road where crash witnesses may be found

The other driver says the light was yellow. You know it was red. A woman in a gray SUV stopped to check on you, said she saw the whole thing, and drove off before anyone got her name. Three months later, she may be the difference between a claim that settles and one that doesn't.

If that is where you are after a crash on Bell Road, 83rd Avenue or one of the loops, this guide is for you. It answers the questions people in Peoria actually ask: do I need a private investigator, what do I do in the meantime, and how long do I have?

It's general information. If you were hurt, talk to a personal injury lawyer. Many of them already work with private investigators on exactly this.

Do you need one at all?

Not always. Start with the crash report. If police responded, the report may list witnesses with names and phone numbers. Your lawyer can usually request it from the agency that wrote it, which in Peoria might be the city's police or, on a freeway, the state. If a witness is listed and answers the phone, your lawyer's office can take it from there.

A private investigator is worth paying for when the trail is thin:

the report has a name but no number, or a number that doesn't work
the witness who mattered was never in the report at all
nobody has asked the businesses nearby whether their cameras caught it
the other side is disputing what happened and you need a statement that will hold up

Arizona law, A.R.S. 32-2401, includes investigating the cause of and responsibility for accidents and injuries, and securing evidence for use in court, in its definition of private investigation. That is the job you would be hiring for.

What you can do yourself, starting tonight

Write down everything you remember about the people who stopped: cars, clothing, what they said, which way they went. Note whether there was a bus stop, a gas station or a restaurant patio with people on it. Small details are what anyone looking for a witness starts from.

Keep every photo, from you or anyone else. Make a list of shops and gas stations along that stretch that might have cameras facing the road, and give it to your lawyer. Business footage is often recorded over within days or weeks, and a formal request to keep it is something your lawyer can send.

Don't post about the crash online. Anything you write can be read by the other side.

What the private investigator's time goes on

You are paying for results you can hand to a lawyer, not for activity. In plain terms, that usually means a current way to reach each witness, a dated statement in the witness's own words, a note of which cameras existed and who was asked about footage, and a short written report.

A good one will not lead a witness or tell them what someone else said, because a statement that sounds coached is worth less than one that is a bit messy. If they record a witness, the witness should know. Under A.R.S. 13-3005, intercepting a conversation without the consent of a party to it is a felony, and a professional won't go near that line.

Why waiting costs you

Arizona's general deadline for personal injury lawsuits is two years from when the claim accrues, under A.R.S. 12-542. That sounds like plenty. For witnesses it isn't. People move, change numbers and stop answering unknown calls. Memories get rewritten every time a story is retold. The best time to start is the week after the crash, not the month before a deadline, and an early search is usually a cheaper search.

If a private investigator calls you about a crash you saw

Maybe you are the one who stopped. You don't have to talk to anyone, and it is fair to ask who they work for before you decide. If you do talk, you can ask to read any written statement before you sign it, and you can ask whether the call is recorded. If you'd rather not be involved, say so. The lawyer may later decide to ask a court for a subpoena, which is a different thing and has to be followed.

Working with your lawyer

If you have an attorney, let them hire or direct the private investigator. Work done at a lawyer's direction may get more protection, and the lawyer knows what the case needs. If you don't have a lawyer yet, it is still worth writing down everything you know and asking any private investigator how they would coordinate with one.

Choosing someone in Peoria

Ask whether they have found witnesses for injury cases in the West Valley, how they take statements, and how they bill. Check their DPS license through the Public Services Portal; our guide to verifying an Arizona private investigator license shows how.

The Peoria private investigators page lists private investigators who are members of the Arizona Association of Licensed Private Investigators (AALPI). The West Valley list shows firms in neighboring cities, and our Peoria hiring checklist covers what to ask before you sign.

Other listings for the city are on the Peoria page. Before you call anyone, find the crash report number. It is the first thing they will ask for.

See the board: everyone in Peoria · private investigators only.