The Impact Of Technology On Personal Injury
Brian O Sutter
Personal Injury
Over the last several years, technology has become such an integral part of our lives that it's hard to imagine a time without it. From smart phones to the internet to high quality security cameras protecting businesses, modern technology is truly everywhere. However, while most of the impacts that it's had on our lives have been positive, there are some ways that it has influenced things negatively. In the world of personal injury, there are pros and cons to technology and taking a closer look at how it may influence a personal injury situation is well worth doing for anyone who has been involved in an accident of any kind.
Distracted Driving And Technology
When most people think of personal injuries, accidents, and technology, distracted driving is what will inevitably spring to mind. Studies have found that driving while texting is just as dangerous as driving while intoxicated, and as such it's important to put down the phone while on the road. But other technologies can be just as distracting. Things like changing songs on an iPod, answering your Bluetooth calls, and even trying to follow a GPS direction could trigger an accident.
When distracted driving causes an accident, the person who was distracted will almost always be held responsible for it. Here again, technology comes into play - it's easy for professional accident lawyers to access mobile phone records to see who was doing what at the moment an accident occurred.
Technology And Proving Fault
However, while most people focus on the potential for technology to cause an accident, it's also worth paying attention to the ways that technology can be used by your personal injury lawyer to determine fault and show that an injured party is entitled to financial compensation for injuries caused by someone else.
As mentioned above, accessing mobile phone records at the time of the accident is the most obvious way that it can occur. But there are numerous other ways that technology is utilized by personal injury lawyers to ensure you get the compensation you're owed. Here are a few examples of how it can be done:
- It's possible to access security camera footage in some instances. This information can be used for some personal injury cases to show the lawyer and the courts just what happened. It's not always an option, but with surveillance cameras being used more and more frequently, it's becoming a method that is gaining traction.
- Virtually all commercial trucks and an increasing number of personal automobiles are rolling off assembly lines with black box style data recorders on them - just like the ones used in the event of an airplane accident. These devices can provide a quick look at things like braking power, speed, turning speed, and more.
- It may also be possible to use computer software to reconstruct accidents using data and information from an accident report. These reconstructions could provide a clear image of what happened.
And these are just a few of the uses that technology could play in proving that a particular party was at fault for an accident. As technology improves, it's likely that more and more will become apparent.
The Bottom Line
Technology has undoubtedly made it more dangerous in some ways to drive, and until drivers learn to put down their mobile devices there will always be a risk of being involved in a distracted driver accident.
But it can help those in need of compensation, and talking to an experienced personal injury attorney could be the first step towards getting you what you're owed following an accident. Our team can help. With offices throughout Florida and years of experience, we're here to give you the representation you need. Contact us today to get your free consultation.