Can A Day-In-The-Life Video Enhance Your Case?

Can A Day-In-The-Life Video Enhance Your Case?

The purpose of video is to create an emotional tie between the plaintiff and the viewer. A professionally produced Day-in-the-Life video presentation can be a persuasive way to show the impact of an injury on your client, and their family, to enhance their case. It captures the physical, emotional, and social challenges your client faces as part of his or her daily routine and creates that emotional connection with the viewer. This helps the carrier to understand the seriousness of the case and can maximize your recovery.

“Settlement Documentary” vs. “A Day-In-The-Life” Video

“Day-In-The-Life” has become a term of art in the legal community to describe pretty much any kind of video presentation. But we take it a step further and distinguish between that and a “settlement documentary”.

• A Settlement Documentary is an all-inclusive presentation which presents liability and/or damages to an adjuster or claims committee at or prior to mediation for the purpose of resolving a claim. It is typically comprised of witness interviews, day-in-the-life video, medical statements, medical documents, crash reports, family photos/videos, etc. The witness statements are not conducted with the intent of being shown to a jury, and therefore, are generally not discoverable.
• A Day-in-the-Life video is a court admissible collection of video clips, usually admitted into evidence during the testimony of a spouse or caregiver. It is intended to illustrate the struggles of the plaintiff each and every day. The presentation typically doesn’t include any pre-recorded commentary. It is narrated live from the witness stand.

What Are The Components Of A Day-In-The-Life Video?

We capture the plaintiff’s struggles and the help he requires day-in and day-out.

These include:

• Dressing and other ADLs
• Wheelchair transfers
• Grooming
• Meals
• Transportation
• Therapies

Why Is A Professional Videographer So Important?

In a Day-in-the-Life video, the unedited recordings are generally discoverable and must be shot with great care so that the case isn’t adversely affected. A professional legal videographer will approach the recording as an unbiased third-party, ensuring the resulting video is an accurate and authentic depiction of a typical day. An experienced videographer understands the importance of being invisible to the process, and therefore, the unedited video never includes:

• Reflections or shadows of the videographer
• Interactions between videographer and plaintiff/caregiver
• Extraneous talk between the plaintiff and a caregiver

At Image Resources, Inc, we understand that Day-in-the-Life videos must follow the Rules of Evidence, and thus must be filmed and edited in a precise way. We adhere to the highest ethical standards when shooting our Day-in-the-Life presentations. We never stage any of your client’s activities or rarely ask your client to repeat an action. We pay close attention to detail to avoid recording anything that could be taken out of context and potentially compromise your case. The jury will see the events exactly as they happen. Therefore, you can have confidence showing the Day-in-the-Life presentation to a jury.