Private investigators have an important role to play in litigation. Any investigation into the facts surrounding the situation at issue should be handled by a professional. Our 30 years of experience make all the difference – in the service levels and innovative approaches we can offer our clients.
A Private Investigator can discover and gather:
1. The physical items to support your case and compile the evidence necessary to prove those facts. This evidence can take several forms such as fingerprint evidence; a broken part from a car, or a missing stop sign, and many many more.
2. Documentary evidence such as pictures of damages to prove fault in an accident; engineering reports, medical records, expert witness reports, business records, corporate records, etc.
3. Background reports on potential fact witnesses – both yours and your opponents. Negative information uncovered can be used to dispute the credibility of your opponent’s witnesses.
4. Information on potential expert witnesses that can be used to impeach your opponent’s expert when he or she is deposed or testifies. Expert witnesses can play a key role in the outcome of both civil and criminal cases. Discovering and using negative information discovered in the background of a purported “expert” can be quite dramatic in a trial. It is not unusual to find that experts have embellished or falsified professional and academic backgrounds.
5. Damaging information about your opponent. A background report on your opponent, a corporation or business will often uncover relevant damaging information that your lawyer can use.
6. Information from Interviews conducted on key parties, character witnesses, fact witnesses, supporting witnesses, reluctant parties or eyewitnesses is critical in the preparation of a case for trial or settlement. When an investigator interviews someone and then later that person testifies, in a deposition or trial, in a way that is not consistent with his or her statements to the investigator that investigator can then be called as a witness to “impeach” the witness’s testimony. In other words, the investigator can testify to what that witness told him or her during the interview thereby damaging their credibility usually fatally. This can be very valuable in cross-examination.
7. Information gathered from conducting background investigations [vetting] on your opponent, witnesses on both sides and even the jurors and judges can provide valuable information. Background checks on your opponent, his or her witnesses, anyone who will be offering evidence against you will often uncover relevant damaging information that your lawyer can use. Information uncovered about a judge or juror can provide important insight into that person’s beliefs and opinions thereby helping your lawyer make an informed decision about whether you want that person sitting as a juror. In the case of a judge, some information could provide information prompting you to challenge that judge on the basis that he or she could not be fair and impartial.
8. Locating lost witnesses or heirs. You have a great witness who is going to testify to critical facts that will prove your case. But, oh no, that witness is nowhere to be found! Your private investigator can locate them and their home and cell phone numbers!
9. Serving subpoenas on reluctant witnesses. No one is better at serving legal papers than a private investigator.
10. Retrieving and analyzing all kinds of records –business and corporate records, arrest records, conviction records, civil and bankruptcy records, real property records, motor vehicle, boat and airplane registrations.
If you are an attorney in litigation, or if you are a party to a lawsuit, retain the services of a private investigator and have them conduct a discreet, confidential investigation that will provide objective evidence that could help you will your case.
