Use Smartphone Technology for Evidence Collection

Using a smartphone

Today all smartphones feature audio and video recording capabilities, built-in cameras and plenty of space for internal data storage.

These features make it easier than ever before to collect, store and remit evidence.

You can use a smartphone to gather evidence in real time at the scene of a road accident, slip and trip incident, an injury due to faulty equipment or any other type of accident.

You can also use it to gather evidence in hospital and at other times after the event, when you’re still paying the price of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Take photographs at the scene

Photographic evidence is compelling and factual, and can go a long way in ensuring the success of a personal injury claim.

You can use your smartphone to take high quality visual images of the scene of an accident, any physical or material damages and the alleged cause of the incident.

Photographs are automatically time and date stamped, so there’s no need to prove their authenticity.

Video or record witness statements

In personal injury cases, witness statements are worth their weight in gold. They are independent assessments of what happened to whom and when. It’s vital to record witness statements as soon after an event as possible, while the facts are still fresh.

Using a smartphone, you can now video a witness, or record this person’s statements, within minutes of an incident occurring.

Record all documentation

All documentation, from police accident reports to medical records, invoices and receipts, can be photographed and saved on your smartphone.

There are even free software apps, such as CamScanner, that allow you to scan and upload images and documents. You can then easily e-mail these to your legal advisor or personal injury lawyer.

Keep track using apps

You can use inventory, tracking or task-based apps on a smartphone to keep track of all the vital bits of evidence, as well as important appointment times and dates, relating to your personal injury case. These apps are available for iOS, Android, Windows and Blackberry devices.

Calculate expenses using Excel

As part of preparing a personal injury claim, you need to track all expenses you incur as a result of being injured. For example, this includes immediate and subsequent medical costs, and loss of earnings due to time off work.

An easy way to calculate expenses relevant to your claim is to use Microsoft’s spreadsheet software, Excel.

Excel is standard in Microsoft Office Mobile for Android, provided your phone contains Android 4.0 or better and you’ve already got Office 365 installed.

Send data to the cloud for safekeeping

Once you’ve accumulated evidence and relevant documentation on a smartphone, you can use cloud-based storage to keep it safe.

Increasing numbers of cloud services, such as iCloud, archive and store imagery and documents on users’ behalf. Some services will even automatically sync videos and photographs from all your computers and digital devices into your own private cloud.

Compelling evidence leads to favourable outcomes

If you use your smartphone to record evidence for a personal injury claim, you increase the likelihood of a favourable outcome. Doing this also makes it faster and easier to manage and share the information you gather.