In the book, Experiencing Other Minds in the Courtroom, Neal Feigenson describes how the value of visual evidence is significantly impacted by who creates it, how it is made, and how it is presented. His ground-breaking research is of critical importance for personal injury lawyers today because the use of video is expanding exponentially in court cases.
Personal injury lawyers regularly face the challenge of helping a jury 'feel the pain' of their clients. This is not a new problem. Through the centuries, poets and writers spun fascinating tales to help their readers get a physical sense of someone else's suffering.
Feigenson cited a case handled by Attorney Michael Jainchill of the law firm RisCassi and Davis. The matter involved a young mother who suffered severe vision loss.
Jainchill had an idea and reached out to Geomatrix Productions to simulate how his client's world appears 'through her eyes.' Geomatrix used cutting-edge technology to create augmented reality video that let the stakeholders in the case have a realistic peek through his client's eyes. Everyone who viewed the video had a vicarious authentic experience of the plaintiff's real damages and the severe visual limitations she struggled with every day.
A properly produced video can significantly improve an attorney's success rate while increasing the size of a client's settlement. Should you worry that you will encounter a rival lawyer using this new technology against you? The chances are good that you will see this powerful demonstrative tool shortly.