Who, What, Where? Interview Intake Sheet

An initial pivotal step in any vehicular accident investigation is to obtain sworn statements from witnesses. In an earlier Bulletin (archived on this blog), we provided a witness statement checklist, which, if followed, should yield a comprehensive and accurate statement.

At the time a witness statement is being recorded, the investigator should also complete a form BNI created, called an Interview Intake Sheet. The information collected in an IIS bolsters the witness' personal information (dob, ssn, address...) and provides a physical description of said witness. The IIS also includes the field investigator's assessment of the witness re: memory recall, credibility, personality... Two outstanding benefits of an IIS are information availability to re-locate a witness, if necessary, and the subject's psychological snapshot.

Quick upload to the law firm of the statement and IIS and the trial lawyer should have a good foundation on which to base immediate future strategy.

BNI Investigators: Street smart: Net savvy.


INTERVIEW INTAKE SHEET

Date of Interview: ____________________________

Time of Interview: __________________ A.M./P.M.

Witness: ______________________________________

Home Address: _________________________________

_______________________________________________

Phone Number: _________________________________

Work Number: __________________________________

Cell Number:___________________________________

Witness Description: Gender:____Male ____Female

Date of Birth: __________________ Age: _______

SSN: ________________________________________

Check one: ______ Asian ______ Black ______ Cauc.

______ Hisp. _______ Indian _________ (Other/enter)

Height: _______________ Weight: ______________

Hair color: ____________ Eye Color: _____________

_____ Mustache _____ Beard _________________ Other

Psychological/Personality Assessment: (i.e., quality
of memory recall, friendliness, credibility…):
___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

Address Where Interviewed: _____________________________

___________________________________________________

Client: _______________________________________

File #: _______________________________________
www.beaconinfopro.com BNI, Inc. 845-233-1613

Red Light; Green Light: Post Accident Info Form

Odds are, if you drive a car, you will get into at least one accident in your life time. While there certainly is no prep course on what to do should an accident occur, our years of accident reconstruction and investigation background have led us to compile the below instructions/suggestions:

1. Always maintain your insurance card and vehicle registration in the same place in your car. It’ll simply be reflex then to locate it in the aftermath of an accident. (It would also be smart to have a zoom disposable camera with flash in your glove compartment.)

2. Remain calm. If injured remain in a comfortable position in your vehicle (if it is safe to do so).

3. Call or have someone call 911 immediately.

4. Do not make any comments as to fault or factors that may have caused the accident.

5. Record the time, date and location of the accident.

6. List the people in all involved vehicles.

7. If you are able to, take photos of the accident scene and any damage to vehicles and noticeable injuries to people. (Note: In photographing the accident scene: record any skid marks or tire gouges left on the roadway. These marks go a long way in determining speed. Also, note all traffic signals/markers in the area such as traffic lights, stop signs, pedestrian crosswalks, pedestrian Walk Signals, medians… present.)

8. While recording the defendant vehicle’s license plate, as well as the driver’s license, registration and insurance card, take photos of these documents as well. Also note the car’s Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). The VIN can usually be seen on the car’s dashboard, through the lower left side (driver’s side) of the windshield. In taking a photo of the VIN, disable the camera’s flash as that additional light may blank the photo.


9. Again, other than inquiring into the defendant(s) health, do not become engage in any “fault” conversation but be aware of any conditions that you feel may have been a factor in the accident (e.g. sun glare, malfunctioning traffic signal, excessive weather conditions…).

10. When you are able, report the accident to your insurance company.

11. The time to seek a personal injury attorney is before an accident occurs. Have several contact names and numbers available from recommendations from friends or family that have experienced this situation. One doesn’t want to be interviewing for a legal representative in an emotionally and physically exhausted state.


ACCIDENT INFORMATION FORM

Accident Information:

DATE: ________________________ TIME: __________________

LOCATION:_________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________


County: __________________________STATE: _________________

Driver’s Information:

NAME: ____________________________________________________
_
DRIVER’S LICENSE #: ____________________DATE/BIRTH: _________

Address: _________________________________________________


Registration Information:
PLATE #: ________________________________ STATE: ____________

VIN: _____________________________________________________

REGISTERED OWNER: ___________________________________________

ADDRESS: ____________________________________________________


Insurance Information:

INSURANCE CODE: _____________ VALID UNTIL: __________________

INSURANCE COMPANY: __________________________________________

CONTACT PHONE #: ____________________________________________

INSURED: ____________________________________________________


Attorney Information:

NAME: _______________________________________________________

PHONE NUMBER: _______________________________________________

ADDRESS: ____________________________________________________

Learning the Lingo: Free Translation Sites

The video links to a top online language school. The instruction has the teacher and student in synchronized communication online and in-voice, in real-time.

Below are two standard (read: text-only) free and immediate translation sites:

www.freeltranslation.com
www.translation2.paralink.com

We throttle between the two - equally as good and both relatively accurate. Of course, once the perfect, idiomatically-correct translation site is invented (and before it is sold for gazillions to Google), we will bring you that information as well.

BNI Investigators: Street smart, Web savvy.

From Sea to Shining Sea: Nat'l Public Records

With 25% of the US population moving/relocating each year (not the same 25% of course!) more often, we've had to turn to national records to locate people. We've put together the below list of National Public Records and Organizations that your firm may find helpful.

NATIONAL PUBLIC RECORDS & ORGANIZATIONS
American Red Cross
http://www.redcross.org

Public Inquiry Office
6th floor
8111 Gatehouse Road
Falls Church, VA 22042
Telephone 703-206-7090

Civil Service Commission
Office of Personnel Management
Employee's Records Center
Boyer PA 16017
Phone: 412 794-3141

Federal Aviation Administration
US Department of Transportation
Federal Aviation Administration
Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center
PO Box 25082
Oklahoma City OK 73125
Phone 405 680-6231 Press 3

Will confirm license, rating. type and medical record by phone. No fee. Include per inquiry: name, date of birth or SSN.


Federal Office of Child Support Enforcement
Web Sites: http://www.acf.dhhs.gov/programs/opa/facts/csenew.htm
http://www.acf.dhhs.gov/programs/cse/index.html


Federal Witness Protection Program
Department of Justice
1001 G St NW
Washington DC 20430
Phone: 202 307-3126

Internal Revenue Service
Web Site: http://www.irs.ustreas.gov/

Washington DC

Interpol
Headquarters in Lyon
Quai Charles de Gaulle
69006 Lyon, France
Telephone: 33 4 72 44 70 00
Fax: 33 4 72 44 71 63
From USA Phone : 202 272-8383

Library of Congress
http://marvel.loc.gov/
Library of Congress
Information Office
Washington DC 20540
Main Phone: 202 707-5000
Reference Center: 202 707-5522

National Archives
http://www.nara.gov/
The National Archives
Constitution Avenue
Washington DC
Phone: 202 501-5402


Bureau of Census
US Census Home Page: http://www.census.gov/
Finding Treasures in the US Federal Census http://www.firstct.com/fv/uscensus.html

1660 N Walnut St
Pittsburgh KS 66762

National Clearinghouses for Missing Children United States
Web Site: http://www.ncmec.org/

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
Suite 550
2101 Wilson Boulevard
Arlington, VA 22201-3077
Phone: 703-235-3900
Fax: 703-235-4067
24-hour Hotline: 800-843-5678


National Personnel Records Center
Web Site: http://www.nara.gov/regional/stlouis.html
Civilian Records Facility
111 Winnebago St Louis MO 63118-4119
Military Records Facility
9700 Page Avenue
St. Louis, MO 63132-5100

Next of kin
NPRC
(Branch of Service)

Military Personnel Records
9700 Page Blvd
St Louis MO 60197-4638

Army Phone: 314 538-4261
Air Force Phone: 314 538-4243
USN, USMC, Coast Guard Phone: 314 538-4141

National Reunion Registry & Press Service
PO Box 355
Bulverde TX 78163-0355
Phone: 210 438-4177
The Salvation Army
Web Sites: http://www.salvationarmy.org/ & http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/home.htm
Email: internet@usa.redcross.org

The Salvation Army National Headquarters
615 Slaters Lane
Alexandria, VA 22313
Telephone: (703) 684-5500
Fax: (703) 684-3478
Call for Assistance 800-SAL-ARMY


Securities & Exchange Commission
Web Site: http://www.sec.gov/
Email: help@sec.gov

SEC Headquarters
450 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20549
Phone: 202 942-7040
Office of Investor Education and Assistance

Selective Service Commission
Web Site: http://www.sss.gov/
PO Box 4638
North Suburban IL 60197-4638
Phone: 708 688-6888



Social Security Administration
Web Site http://www.ssa.gov/
Social Security on-line: http://www.ssa.gov/SSA_Home.html

Location Services
6401 Security Blvd
Baltimore MD 21234
Phone: 800 772-1213


US Justice Department
Web Site: http://www.ins.usdoj.gov/
Immigration & Naturalization
INS
421 I Street NW
Washington DC 20536
Phone: 202 633-5231

US Department of State Passport Service
Web Site: http://travel.state.gov/passport_services.html

Passport Office
Department of State
Washington DC 20520


US Department of Justice Federal Prison System
Web Site: http://www.bop.gov/
County Jail Locator: http://www.corrections.com/links/county.html
Department of Justice
Federal Bureau of Prisons
Inmate Locate Service
Office of Communications & Archives
320 First St, NW
Washington, DC 20534
Phone: 202 307-3126

US Department of Commerce
Web site: http://www.doc.gov/
Phone: 202 377-2000

BNI Investigators: Street smart: Net savvy.