Civil litigation attorney needed independent witness development ahead of depositions

An Austin civil litigation attorney was preparing for depositions in a significant personal injury matter. The plaintiff had identified multiple witnesses. The defense team needed those witnesses interviewed independently - before depositions locked them into their accounts - to understand exactly what each witness would and wouldn’t say under oath.

Pre-deposition witness interviews require an investigator who understands the rules of evidence, knows how to conduct a recorded interview that is legally defensible, and can accurately predict how a witness’s account will hold up under cross-examination. Law enforcement interview experience is a significant advantage.

Watson PI conducted recorded, witnessed interviews with four identified witnesses over a five-day period. Each interview was documented, transcribed, and summarized in a report formatted for the attorney’s deposition preparation. Two of the four witnesses provided accounts that materially differed from the plaintiff’s stated version of events. One witness indicated they were unlikely to cooperate with either party.

The attorney entered depositions with a complete picture of each witness’s likely testimony. The deposition strategy was adjusted based on Watson PI’s findings. The attorney later communicated that the investigation had directly shaped the deposition questioning and had produced outcomes in the depositions that would not have been possible without the prior witness development.