The old saying tells us that a picture is worth a thousand words.
When Can Pictures and Videos be Compelling Evidence?
Whether trying a medical malpractice lawsuit or preparing a demand package to try and resolve a case through mediation or settlement, it’s useful for injured parties to compare and contrast the plaintiff pre-injury with how he or she is getting by after the negligence.
Risk managers and insurance companies evaluate how plaintiffs will be perceived by a jury. Will they be likeable or not? Do they seem genuine or not? Are the injuries visible or concealed?
Photos and videos make compelling evidence that communicate this type of information in a way that words alone may never do. (Discover the value of patient photos in health care, which contains valuable and informative content)[https://painterfirm.com/medmal/the-value-of-patient-photos-in-health-care/].
How do family photos help in humanizing plaintiffs in medical malpractice cases?
Family photos at Disneyworld, around the table at Thanksgiving, or in front of a Christmas tree humanize the plaintiff and conjure up memories familiar to many Americans.
For plaintiffs who can’t return to work because of injuries, photos with co-workers, at office parties, or being busy on the job are great. They communicate that the plaintiff was hard working, part of a team, and contributing to society rather than looking for a free ride.
How do videos depicting the drastic impact of injuries strengthen medical malpractice cases?
Videos of activities that the plaintiff used to enjoy but now can’t are sometimes jaw-dropping.
We represented a man in his 40s who was rendered quadriplegic at the hands of an unskilled, careless Dallas neurosurgeon. Our client had always enjoyed an athletic lifestyle, but the medical negligence brought that to a sudden end. Video clips from his years of college sports and more recent athletic activities vey convincingly got across the point of how drastically his quadriplegia changed his active life.
In another neurosurgery case, we represented a man in his 20s who lived in the country. He was a welder by occupation and for fun liked to hunt, fish, hike, and cut down trees. When he developed an essential tremor in his hands, a neurosurgeon proposed what he described as a simple procedure. Operating room personnel described the doctor getting lost in our client’s brain, leaving him with some permanent impairments.
When we visited with his family to talk about photos and videos, his mom gave us an incredible video of him suspended on a rope, high in some trees with a chainsaw. In contrast, now he has a hard time even just walking because of balance issues. The video communicated so much.
Explore the (importance of surveillance video evidence in medical malpractice cases)[https://painterfirm.com/medmal/surveillance-video-evidence-in-medical-malpractice-cases/] as it provides valuable insights into the use and impact of videos in such proceedings.
How do video interviews of family, friends, or co-workers provide valuable perspectives in wrongful death cases involving medical malpractice?
In some cases, video interviews of family, friends, or co-workers allow us to tell a story from someone else’s perspective. One case immediately comes to mind.
We represented the family of a man in his early 40s in a wrongful death medical malpractice lawsuit. He was a former standout college football player that even played a season in the National Football League (NFL). This man was totally involved and invested in mentoring his stepson, who himself was a talented athlete. The year after he died, his stepson received a full football scholarship to a Division I school.
We did a video interview of the stepson’s high school coach, which we used as part of our pre-mediation demand package. It left no doubt that this deceased young man had devoted his life to helping others. It made me wish that I had known him before he passed away. I bet the risk managers for the defendants felt the same way.
If you’ve been seriously injured because of poor hospital or physician care, then contact a top-rated, skilled Houston, Texas medical malpractice lawyer for help in evaluating your potential case.
