In the age of the internet and social media, businesses specializing in producing visual enhancements can bring extra value to attorneys and their law firms and ultimately enhance their settlements.
Among the 41 vendors at the 2018 Florida Justice Association convention June 19-22 in West Palm Beach were eight video and marketing businesses: Visual Media Refined, Visual Evidence, Image Resources Inc., Video Law Services, Universal Court Reporting, Milestone Reporting Company, TPG – The Presentation Group and Rieback & David.
In the past, attorneys have performed fine without the visual enhancements these businesses produce. But Emily Gregory, communications director at Image Resources Inc., says, “Paper only does so much. They just read the numbers, see what the damage is and stuff like that. We help tell their story and show the emotional side of it and what they have actually gone through. It’s different. The mediator or the adjuster may not have seen one of these videos before, so when they see something that’s different, it helps because they’re more entertained. They get the idea better.”
Image Resources specializes in settlement documentaries which Gregory says is a 15-20 minute video highlighting interviews with witnesses, family and friends, pre-injury photographs and day-in-the-life documentation post-injury if the person is still living. These videos act as a persuasive catalyst to expedite the settlement process aiming to raise the settlement amount and avoid moving to trial.
According to a 2013 Google consumer survey, 96 percent of people seeking legal advice use a search engine. More and more consumers pursue avenues such as company websites and social media profiles prior to making an inquiry. These avenues enable law firms to present themselves in an elevated manner that influences the present-day consumer.
“A lot of people don’t even know they have rights and so they go through life suffering on so many levels from a simple car accident to a major catastrophe, Christine David, partner/CCMO at Rieback & David, says. "A spouse or a child may not know that there are things that can be done to help that person get the medical attention they need. We wanted to make a difference. We are able to spread the word of select attorneys that are really good at making a difference, themselves. We try to encapsulate the spirit of what they do, why they do it, why they excel at it and then take that and put that out there for the general public so they know you have options. You have choices and you have rights. You don’t have to fight and suffer alone.”
Rieback & David focuses on developing the brand image for plaintiff trail attorneys through desktop and mobile website design, building their organic ranking by increasing their presence on the major directories such as Google My Business and Apple Maps, building their social media presence while exhibiting the unique persona of the law firm and providing video advertising.
Personal injury law is a growing and competitive field. Google Trends shows that the search "Personal Injury lawyer near me" has sky rocketed over the last year and people are continually looking for support as a result of life altering experiences.
In some cases, settlement happens quickly. However, more often than not, they can take a couple years or longer. Ashley Mclean, court reporter for Milestone Reporting Company, says, “Personal injury goes way beyond getting hurt one day; it can affect your whole life. Making sure you have record of exactly what happened and being able to make sure people get what they deserve and they’re able to take care of themselves.”
Milestone Reporting Company offers video depositions and court reporting. They aim to aid attorneys by providing accurate transcripts and various other reference materials necessary for a solid case. Mclean adds, “We’re like super secretaries. We’re keepers of records and all of us are required to be notaries. We have certified videographers and we really cover a range of duties that really make attorneys' lives a lot easier in being able to reference things that have been said that will be important for them to fight their cases.”