Settlement Edge

The Strategy of Video

Producing a video for an injury claim can work well under the right set of circumstances. Settlement videos are a smart choice with the right case. Insurance adjusters have a difficult job.  They process files every single day.  At times there might be a couple hundred of them on their desk. Their supervisors are on them to close cases and move on to the next file.  What else?  They have personal injury firms calling them on behalf of their client and there’s times where those conversations aren’t nice.  Piece of cake right?  Not really!  So let’s talk about how a serious injury video might help when you’re working with them.

Given the challenges of this job, it’s up to the accident attorney to figure out the best way to stand out.  That’s where a video strategy comes into play. Does your client really want their case to go to trial?  In some cases that answer might be yes.  Other times, a resounding no. 

So how can a video for an injury claim help in the settlement process?  It demonstrates that you have confidence in your client’s story.  It brings you to the top of that stack on their desk. By personalizing your client through a serious injury video you’re not just another file.  You’re different. 

Settling Your Injury Claim or Filing A Suit

In some cases personal injury firms have to go to trial because there’s just no other recourse.  Some insurance companies are just conditioned to assume the worst about your claim.  They may not believe there’s ample causation issues.  They’re constantly asking themselves the question, “Are the injuries really as significant as what’s being said?”  

A personal injury attorney who immediately thinks about litigation, could be making a mistake.  There may be easier ways to increase your client’s settlement.  Serious injury videos position your client as a sympathetic character.  They paint a story for the adjuster and reveal how a person’s life has changed dramatically. 

Who Should Be Interviewed in a Serious Injury Video?

A video for an injury claim starts and ends with the interviews.  If you look at both sides, the insurance company has some doctors and experts they can rely on, but so do you.  But your secret sauce really revolves around all the people who know the injury victim.  These can be friends, family, neighbors, someone from a church; anyone who can talk about the before and after effects of an injury is a great candidate.  That’s where the real advantage comes into play.  The insurance company has nothing to combat that.

These are the people who can talk about how life has changed for “Sarah” or “James.”  They can provide texture from a vocational or recreational standpoint.  The details and specific examples in a settlement video come in the form of interviews which connect on both an emotional and logical level.    

When an injury occurs, it’s not just the body that’s hurt; it’s everything else. The pain, the treatment, the inconvenience, all of the mental anguish, it adds up.  It’s easy for an injury victim to lose their sense of identity if they can’t take part in an activity they once loved.  They not only have lost the activity but all of the relationships that are a part of it.  

Final Thoughts

Video possesses many powers.  It’s a tool that documents facts, but also conveys emotion.  It gives the viewer an inside look at what’s going on in a person’s life.  It provides a way to bring people together no matter what their geographical distance is.  That’s especially important when each person may have their own unique angle on how the victim’s life has changed.

Remote vs. On-Site Production

We’ve created many of our settlement videos for personal injury attorneys this year using Zoom. We complement these interviews with photos and music in order to tell the story. Personal injury firms can rest assured that Zoom interviews work effectively for mediation videos. Initially we had some of our own concerns related to quality. We don’t anymore!

Zoom puts people at ease during an interview. Which is important! With on-site production, we generally don’t come in with a ton of video production equipment. It’s always one person conducting and shooting the interview for our law firm clients. Since the content is so private we limit it to that. But, it’s obviously more complex than interviewing someone through a platform. With Zoom, we interview remotely, and the injured victim, or family member has their own space. This makes them more comfortable during the interview.

Step 1, Getting To Know The Injured Client

As part of our process, we always spend time getting to know the victim or survivor over the phone. Trust is vital in telling a Day In The Life video story. A client who has suffered an injury because of an accident is trying to recover. The first thing we tell that person is that we’re sorry that they’re going through this. Accidents are a traumatic thing to recover from. They bring on physical pain. In some cases a brain injury can be debilitating for life. It not only affects the person who had the accident, but the family too. It’s taxing and emotionally draining.

We have all the pertinent medical records and history of the case while talking to the injury victim. That way they don’t have to repeat every single thing and get us up to speed! It’s just another way to provide value and prove that we’re their advocate.

Empathy is crucial. We’re sympathetic to their injury and we want them to recover. We’re able to make them feel that early on. No one wants to feel like a number or a case file.

Step 2, Zoom Settlement Videos For Attorneys

We’re ready for our Zoom interview. We’ve sent a link to our injured victim and have our questions ready and have done our research. Our interview subject even knows what clothes to wear and how to get the best lighting.

The length of the interview varies case to case. They can take less than half an hour, while some more complex cases can take over an hour and a half. We’ve seen injury victims and family members open up more. The videos hit home. They have enough space to be emotional without the proximity of another person and a camera. It’s an interesting psychological experiment watching what unfolds in that setting.

Our settlement videos for personal injury attorneys are customized to the individual. Each case is different; whether it’s a cycling accident, slip and fall, or automobile crash. We learn about their life before the accident, and what changes have happened after. We make sure that comes out in the interview.

FINAL THOUGHTS

When it comes to on-site video production versus creating videos remotely, both have their unique benefits. In the end, content is king. Authenticity will always come first, and that will resonate no matter how a video is produced.

A Personal Injury Firm’s Decision

Day in the Life videos provide an insurance adjuster a human face. That’s the long and short of it right there. Right? So, what are some of the other factors that play into the decision?

First, let’s start at the top of the list, the policy limit. It doesn’t make much sense creating a Day In The Life Video for a victim with low coverage. These videos are used for serious accidents. When a person is confined to a wheelchair and they need help showering, eating, getting to appointments; their life has been dramatically altered. It makes sense to tell their story! But you may have concerns. Here’s one; will my client be convincing on camera? Injury attorneys worry that their injured victim might be nervous or won’t look good on camera. The truth is none of that matters. We’ve found that the more authentic somebody is, the better they’ll do. For instance, if a person is sincere, likable, and honest, those are good characteristics that will go far. A serious injury changes someone, this video will showcase those changes.

The Value of Time

Time is another concern for many law firms. What kind of extra time or resources will they need to expend on a Day in the Life video? In reality, hiring a video settlement specialist for your case may very well save you time. We say that because in our research and interviews we’ll be able to unearth more facts and testimony that will help your case. Information that possibly didn’t surface before.

A settlement video complements your paper settlement. They both work hand in hand. The video alone can’t go into the same amount of detail your demand needs to. However, it will provide the emotion and human touch that doesn’t exist in a paper file.

How Can My Client Benefit?

Injury victims benefit in three ways from a video. Let’s explore those.

1. A Day in the Life video reveals the before and after of an accident. How is your client’s life now different? What are some specific examples we can provide to show how life has changed for them?
2. The insurance adjuster now has a name and a face to go along with the demand. Because of the video they’ll be able to see the pain that this person and their family has had to endure. Text cannot provide that same experience!
3. We’re able to communicate not only how life has changed today, but what kind of impact the accident will play in the future. Lost wages, loneliness, pain, anxiety….we show the ripple effect an injury brings.

To sum things up, video is an asset that more law firms are turning to in order to get the most leverage out of their client’s case. It’s an instrument for good; a tool that increases the settlement and helps your client move forward.