No one knows for sure when the first wheel was invented. Yet, most people would agree that this invention changed the world of transportation forever.
No matter your generation, you can likely remember a new gadget that has affected your life. Who could have predicted the birth of self-driving cars hundreds of years ago?
As new technology like the autonomous vehicle continuously enters the scene, it revolutionizes our way of living. Society must adapt, write new laws, and adapt old ones to keep pace with innovation.
As outdated law firms get left behind, the forward-thinking attorneys of Minton Law Firm realize our Arkansas clients need novel solutions. Our team needs to evolve with the times to build a solid personal injury lawsuit for you in the modern age.
Strengthening Personal Injury Cases With Emerging Technology
Much of our success at Minton Law Firm derives from our resourceful and creative problem-solving skills. Our personal injury lawyers investigate beyond the surface to build strong and effective legal cases.
But how do emerging technologies impact personal injury law and its ability to ensure at-fault entities face liability? Let’s explore this topic together to ensure you can take advantage of the benefits and avoid the drawbacks.
As a matter of fact, rapidly evolving technology can boost your lawyer’s ability to craft a strong personal injury case.
Skip tracing tools
Consider these two scenarios:
- You no longer have a valid phone number or address for a key eyewitness. In the past, your case might be in danger of falling apart because someone moved without a forwarding address.
- You are the victim of a hit-and-run. In the past, some at-fault parties evaded justice by fleeing accident scenes before law authorities arrived.
What solutions does technology offer? Let’s explore.
Skip tracing makes it easier to locate people. Skip tracers use advanced technology to search various sources, such as those listed below, to gather information about a person’s whereabouts:
- Public records: Court records, property deeds, birth and death certificates, marriage licenses, and business registrations
- Databases: Storehouses of customer data kept by businesses (e.g. MySQL, Oracle, and MongoDB)
- Online platforms: Social media, professional networking sites, and people directory tools like Spokeo, Whitepages, and BeenVerified
If you were the victim of a hit-and-run accident, consult a personal injury lawyer. Modern tools can help him or her find the whereabouts of the at-fault driver.
Drones
Drones are more than a popular toy. These autonomous or remote-controlled flying devices can take aerial photos and videos of accident scenes from various perspectives. A comprehensive analysis reveals more accurately the extent of damages, vehicle positions, and contributing factors that led to the accident.
While a drone’s aerial perspective can reveal more than stationary surveillance cameras, these autonomous vehicles do not come without the risk of potential injuries. Some injury accidents involving drones are attributed to human operator error, while others are linked to mechanical failure.
Virtual reality
Virtual reality (VR) technology creates a simulated environment, allowing users to experience an alternative reality. How can it be applied to the legal field?
Suppose you are injured in a car accident. Your lawyer must demonstrate how it occurred to win your personal injury lawsuit.
A 3D model simulation could provide the judge and jury with an immersive and accurate representation of the event. VR makes it easier to understand the sequence of events and the impact of injury accidents in legal proceedings.
As virtual reality becomes more sophisticated, even more applications will become evident.
Wearable devices
Wearable technology refers to devices that can be worn on the body. These devices typically incorporate smart sensors, location tracking, and connectivity features to collect and transmit data.
Examples of wearable tech include:
- Smartwatches
- Medical-alert pendants or wristbands
- Fitness trackers
- Virtual or augmented reality glasses and headsets
- Portable virtual assistants
Real-time data gathered by wearable technology can be beneficial for personal injury cases. For instance, health metrics or a sudden decline in activity could reveal the exact moment an accident injury or medical emergency occurs.
Patterns revealed by fitness trackers are also shedding light on the impact of injuries on a victim’s quality of life. For instance, if a habitual jogger is injured, a court could evaluate the difference in that person’s activity levels before and after the accident.
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) is the simulation of intelligence by machines programmed to think and learn like humans. In personal injury cases, AI-powered tools enhance the efficiency and accuracy of various processes, freeing lawyers to focus on the most critical features of their cases.
For instance, AI could potentially:
- Analyze and identify patterns in vast amounts of legal data
- Automate certain processes to save time
- Identify inconsistencies and potential risks
- Reduce human error
- Prepare research documents on personal injury law
Yet, with all new technologies, caution is necessary. Product liability laws must protect consumers when these devices cause property damage and serious injuries.
Balancing Innovation and Responsibility
Problems and unique legal challenges may arise as technology evolves. Let’s briefly examine a few.
Distractions for Motorists
As any cell phone owner knows, technology can consume your attention and the problem seems to be getting worse. In Arkansas, distracted driving citations rose from 807 to 1064 between 2021 and 2022.
If you lose focus on the road, the results can be disastrous.
The Arkansas Highway Safety Office explains the increase: “Distracted driving has become an even more prevalent issue on roadways with drivers having more access to technology and distractions than ever before, leaving these incidents at higher and higher rates.”
As you mentally fast forward to the future, you can imagine how much more distracting wearable technology, dash cams, and other devices could become for motorists.
Privacy concerns
Privacy concerns often emerge with the introduction of new technologies due to the potential misuse of personal data and surveillance capabilities. Recent examples include:
- Drones being used for unauthorized surveillance
- AI systems collecting and analyzing client’s confidential information like medical records and financial data without consent
- Skip-tracing technologies infringing on individuals’ privacy rights by tracking their movements and activities without their knowledge.
- Data breaches causing leaks of personal information and identity theft
In the past, an attorney would consider historical data and legal precedents. Yet, how can legal professionals handle such compelling cases if current laws do not indicate who should be held responsible?
Inadequacies in existing laws
Current laws that worked in the past need to be revised to deal with novel legal considerations raised by recent technology. Personal injury attorneys must adapt, anticipate, and respond to new laws and updates on existing ones.
An example of how advancements in technology have greatly influenced how personal injury lawyers handle cases is apparent when determining liability for autonomous vehicles:
- Driver assistance technologies were involved in over 390 crashes between July 2021 and May 2022. In a 2022 press release, the National Highway Traffic and Safety Association reported another 130 crashes involving automated driving technology since its general order in June 2021, requiring manufacturers and operators to report accidents involving autonomous vehicles.
- Ridesharing companies like Uber and Lyft use mobile apps to match riders with drivers. Some companies are exploring the possibility of using driverless vehicles. Recent news articles about self-driving cars reveal some unfortunate results, including deaths and other injuries. With multiple parties involved, such cases pose great legal challenges since legal and insurance regulations vary in each city.
In the past, many personal injury claims revolved around human error and negligent driving practices. Now, legal professionals need to evaluate the role of manufacturer liability to ensure that the correct party is held responsible.
Determining who is liable is one of the trickiest issues facing autonomous vehicle accidents.
Soon, we may see highways full of self-driving cars without a human occupant. Personal injury law must evolve to meet the challenges of determining liability no matter who – or what – is controlling the wheel.
Shape Your Future – Choose Minton’s Personal Injury Attorneys
Just as the first car accident followed the invention of the car, new tech could result in tragic accidents. Since then, people have had to figure out how to deal with the resulting injuries, ensuring the at-fault parties fulfill their responsibilities to the victims.
No one can predict or control how our rapidly evolving future will transform the legal system. Yet, you can choose who to represent you when you need personal injury law to protect your personal injury rights.
Your first step forward is seeking legal guidance for your personal injury claim. In this complicated world, various factors could significantly affect the legal process for your case.
As technology advances, so does Arkansas personal injury law. As legal professionals, our aim is to deliver personal attention while we keep pace with the effects of emerging technologies on the legal landscape.
Legal representation is available near you. Visit our offices near Little Rock, Benton, Conway, and Hot Springs.
The representatives of Minton Law are available online or by phone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Send us a message or call us at 855-Xadjuster to discuss your individual legal challenges during a free personal injury consultation.
