The statement should confirm when and how the intervention offer was received, what was offered, and explain clearly why it was not accepted. Ignoring the intervention letter in the witness statement is a common mistake that can lead the court to assume the claimant simply disregarded it without good reason.
What should a credit hire witness statement include?
A credit hire witness statement should cover the accident circumstances, vehicle damage, need for a hire vehicle, the hire period and why it was reasonable, any intervention offers received, and financial disclosure if impecuniosity is claimed. It must end with a statement of truth and comply with CPR Part 32 formatting requirements.
What is an intervention letter in credit hire?
An intervention letter is an offer from the defendant's insurer to provide a hire vehicle directly, bypassing the credit hire arrangement. If the claimant rejects the offer without good reason, the court may limit recovery to the cost of the intervening offer. The claimant must address why they rejected it.
What happened in Wiltshire v Aioi Nissay Dowa [2025] and why does it matter?
In this 2025 case, the claimant's credit hire claims failed almost entirely because of template-driven witness statements and poor claims handling. The court criticised "blind following of a company process" and awarded only a fraction of what was claimed. It is a cautionary example of why every witness statement needs to be case-specific, not just a filled-in template.
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