The way we live our lives has experienced a paradigm shift after technological innovations have found their way to us.

Businesses have changed their conducts and perspectives after bringing in new technology into practice. Personal injury law is no exception to it! A recent example of a ‘Fitbit’ playing a deciding role in a court case took the world by storm.

Hire a personal injury lawyer, and you will be amazed by the precision of work that they are capable of. This is accredited to new technology. Bulky case files and documents have been replaced by soft copies of the same in an electronic gadget, and this is just the tip of the iceberg.

We look at instances where and how new technology is revolutionizing personal injury litigation.

Online Resolution Mechanisms For Dispute Settlement

Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) mechanisms for personal injury claims like online arbitration and online mediation have utilized the internet as a medium of communication. 

eBay was able to resolve more than 60 million claims in 2018, and a similar mechanism is used in personal injury litigation. 

The mechanism provides procedural flexibility while significantly reducing time and cost. Singapore law bodies have made it mandatory to use the e-filing and ODR systems for minor claims. 

The process starts with online case filing and acceptance, and then the evidence is exchanged through the same platform. Later on, court hearings, judgment passing, and payment of claims for damage are all done online.

AI (Artificial Intelligence) 

Prediction Of Legal Outcomes

An AI-based software or tool has better accuracy when predicting the outcomes of a legal case because of the thorough analysis of data.

There are times when the client wants to know whether he/she should settle out of court, and if they proceed with the trial, what is the likely outcome that he/she will win. Using this software or tool is an added benefit as the years of trial data helps to make accurate predictions.

A personal injury lawyer will not solely rely on an AI-based software blindly and apply their minds wherever possible. But, using AI for predicting outcomes gives an edge by helping even the most confident lawyers to make an informed decision.

Personal Injury Assessment

Agreed that AI is still in its nascent stages and many law firms would argue with its applicability to the personal injury claims.

It has been able to upholster the quality of personal injury assessment, cut down the cost and effort, and has reduced junior level jobs required. The processing of these claims if faster than ever with minimum shelving and queuing time. 

One of the most prominent insurance companies in the world to use AI is Zurich Insurance. They claim to cut down the work that took ten hours initially to a matter of a few seconds after using AI-based assessment for personal injury claims. Thousands of videos, images, audio files, and documents are read in seconds to calculate the payout of claims.

Pre-stored Legal Advice From Chatbots

US law firms have led by example by using AI in tandem with legal services. Hefty chunks of data are fed to an AI-based ‘robot’ which uses this legal knowledge to simulate a relevant conversation with the user.

A lot of routine legal help and inquiries are being addressed by chatbots that are available 24/7 to the clients. By taking care of generic questions, personal injury lawyers focus the majority of their time for deep and intense case research.

Recently, an AI-based chatbot called ‘DoNotPay’ has been able to provide legal counsel to sue anyone for personal injury claims. The chatbot was able to reduce the gap between people and their rights.

Legal Research And Document Review

If you engage a personal injury lawyer (especially a newbie), you will find him dedicating almost all his time on legal research for the case.

With the development of a research-assisting software called ‘ROSS Intelligence’ legal researches have become more authoritative and efficient. The software is a legal search engine for making legal procedures less expensive and more efficient. The search engine is powered by Artificial Intelligence to automate the legal processes.

Apart from ROSS, the world’s first artificially intelligent attorney named ‘Ross’ was created by BakerHostetler that uses Machine Learning (ML) for the purpose of legal research. The machines mark essential case-related documents as relevant, saving both time and effort.

Another stellar example of ML is the Canada-based company, Kira Systems that has developed an ML-based software to revolutionized the legal services of law firms. Clauses, information, transactions, and other essential data can be extracted within seconds.

Data Mining In Case Research 

Even a small sliver of information can decide the fate of the case. The real test is to extract that information from thousands of pages of client information and video recordings. Data mining has enabled personal injury lawyers to comprehend  their clients better.

By cross-referencing personal injury claims with medical records through data mining technology can open doors to mass tort cases. For example, a lawyer using Litify for data mining can generate more than 200 cases every month.

Blockchain For Personal Injury Litigation

Transactions are kept on a common digital ledger through blockchain and legally binding through a new concept of ‘smart’ contract. Smart contracts have enabled to build DAOs (Decentralized Automated Organizations) that have redefined corporate law and governance.

Blockchain, in addition to smart contracts, has led to digital infrastructure and tools that have reduced disputes and conflicts in personal injury claims.

Execution of a contract, collection of data, settlement of disputes, verifying legal documents, and recording commercial transactions have been enabled through smart contracts. Tools like OpenLaw and Integra Ledger are the hot favorites among lawyers to generate and embed smart contracts.

Parting Thoughts

New technology has broadened the perspectives of both clients and lawyers. This is just a humble beginning for these technologies, and they will find their full potential in a few years.

These technologies are not ‘plug-and-play’ and lawyers should realize that their deployment requires intricate planning. Implementation of these technologies requires a platform where the processes are streamlined, and lawyers are willing to readily utilize them.