Witness Checklist

ARTICLE 2 OF 6

Witnesses can be difficult to locate after a vessel changes crew, an offshore hitch ends, or cruise passengers return to different states and countries. Preserve contact information early when possible.

For each witness, record the full name, personal phone number, personal email address, employer, job title or relationship to the incident, and where the person was located when the event occurred.

Identify different types of witnesses: people who saw the accident, people who saw the dangerous condition beforehand, supervisors who knew about prior problems, medical personnel, and people who observed the injured person's condition afterward.

Do not pressure a witness to adopt a particular version of events. Preserve what the witness actually remembers. If the witness provides photographs or messages, keep the originals when possible.

For cruise incidents, independent passenger witnesses can be especially valuable because they are not employed by the cruise line. Ask for personal contact information before the voyage ends.

For offshore incidents, note crew changes and contractor affiliations. A coworker may later work for a different company or on a different vessel, making personal contact information more reliable than a company extension.