An AOE/COE assignment can easily become a long list of interviews unless the factual disputes are defined first. The goal is not to collect the most statements. The goal is to develop the information that materially helps evaluate whether the alleged injury or exposure arose out of and occurred in the course of employment.
Define the disputed facts
Mechanism, timing, location, work activity, notice, witness presence, prior complaints, and the sequence of events are common areas of dispute. Write the open questions down before selecting interview subjects.
Separate sources from conclusions
An employee, supervisor, coworker, safety record, schedule, incident report, photograph, or business record may each establish different pieces of the timeline. Independent corroboration matters because repeated statements from the same source are not the same as separate evidence.
Plan the interview sequence
When practical, prioritize witnesses whose recollections may be most independent or time-sensitive. Document what each person personally observed and distinguish it from information learned later through workplace discussion.
Use conflicts as investigative leads
Conflicting accounts do not automatically prove misconduct. They identify the next question. What record, witness, location information, communication, or other source can independently test the conflict?