The law is a stodgy, dusty, old behemoth, and not prone to change easily. Those who practice law can easily get trapped in outdated technology if they’re not careful. I know many law firms which still insist on faxes, interoffice memos, and snail mail when email and online document collaboration would suffice.
That’s why we were so delighted to hear about how one attorney is using Google Glass – a wearable computer – to enhance his firms persuasive abilities in the courtroom. Business Insider reports that Law Firm Fennemore Craig is encouraging personal injury clients to wear Google Glass to document their daily lives after an injury. We assume that the idea behind this documentation is to emphasize the difficulties these clients face, thus creating greater sympathy and increasing the likelihood of a greater offer from the insurance company.
Telling the Story
Personal injury law involves a lot of “story telling.” Not in the sense that things are made up, but each side tells their version of what happened, and what they think is going to happen next. The insurance company will certainly try to downplay injury and seriousness, while the injured will want to be exhaustive in listing every difficulty caused by the injury, and in attempting to predict future challenges. Documentation of the sort that Google Glass could provide might be a powerful tool when seen by a jury. The insurance company would recognize this and be more likely to deal.
Wearable technology is a tool that attorneys ought to embrace. The technology doesn’t lie. We humans are sometimes reluctant to trust the stories told by those who have been hurt in an accident, but when backed up by clear data such as video footage, medical information, and so on, we’re more likely to believe. By involving more technology in the process, we bring in greater accuracy. This means we won’t be worried as much about determining a persons honesty. Instead we’ll be able to focus on recovery.
Other Uses in Law
Google Glass and other technologies will help attorneys improve their effectiveness in other ways. For example, conducting mock trials with all jury members wearing Glass would help the law firm keep track of what jurors are paying attention to, and make a more comprehensive review of their case.
Phones which automatically geo-tag photos are already helping reconstruct accident scenes by giving the precise location of the person taking the picture, along with other important metrics. Dashboard cameras are becoming more and more popular and provide important footage of accidents. Smartphones are beginning to integrate with vehicles, keeping a record of speed, location, braking behavior, and more. All this data can help everybody involved paint the most accurate picture possible.
We’re excited to see how technology will continue to impact the legal world.
Changes in the Legal World: Using Technology to Tell the Story. by James Sorrels