As private investigators specializing in insurance claims investigations, we are constantly asked to locate witnesses, particularly for auto accident related claims and liability claims. Some of the time these come from the claims adjusters or SIU, others times from defense attorneys. What we found to be very interesting in how frequently law enforcement goes to the media asking for help from the public in locating a witness. In one local news broadcast, they referenced police conducting a locate investigation in four separate stories, and in all they were asking the public for tips and help. The next day, half way across the country, the local news paper had three such references. One thing is certain, unlike law enforcement, in the average witness locate investigation we conduct, we rarely get help, instead we usually get some resistance.
