Whether it be iPhone or Android, — smartphones have gained a bad rap to many in this day in age. To some, smartphones are ruining social lives, killing print media, and turning teens into selfie-taking narcissists. To others, smartphones are the best thing since sliced bread and are deemed quite an investment. After all, thousands do spend hours on end in lines, anticipating the new iPhone launch annually.
Regardless of where you may stand, if we could all agree on one thing, that would be that smartphones have revolutionized almost every aspect of our daily lives. How we talk to each other, shop, listen to music, and even how we document things have all been altered within recent years due to the advancement of mobile technology. Most Americans (81% according to The Pew Research Center), now have access to smartphones that allow you to record audio and video, as well as take photos at a click of a button, easier than ever before.
We may know that smartphones have reconstructed our daily lives, but many are unaware of the big role that they have played in the court system within the past few years. Because of the rapid emergence of convenient video, photo, and audio recording capabilities, there are many new pieces of evidence to consider in many court cases.
Say you get into an accident of any sort. You snap a few shots of the accident, along with any visible injuries you may have. By photo documenting your accident and injuries, you are already off to a great start when it comes to gathering evidence for your case. Even if this is not used as evidence in court, it can be used to give your attorney a better visual understanding of the circumstance.
We never expect to be subject to injury or find ourselves victim to an unfortunate incident. However, the next time you may be put in this predicament, be aware of your rights when it comes to documenting your surroundings with your smartphone. Remember — you have the right to take photos in public spaces and of any accident scene, as long as you are not invasive of other’s privacy or disruptive of any police or rescue efforts. Take photos and videos. Keep every document regarding your incident in a safe place.
Although smartphones as evidence may not always be admissible, it does not hurt to take precaution by recording or taking videos of your incident. If using smartphone evidence for a case, you must have it reviewed by your attorney first before presenting it in court. Evidence must be considered relevant to the case in order to have any hold. Evidence must also be authentic in order to be credible.
No matter where you may stand in regards to accepting or rejecting the implementation of smartphones in our everyday lives — the smartphone seems as if it is here to stay — and just may one day have the capability of building evidence for your case.
Here at Wyatt Law Firm, it’s personal. We have a passion for justice and the ability to help you build your case, with evidence big or small. Our experienced team of attorneys have the tools to piece together just about any personal injury case. As always, if you or a loved one has experienced an accident of any caliber — whether it be oil field, aviation, workplace, fire, construction, or boat related — Wyatt Law Firm is ready to take on your case.
We pride ourselves on being diligent for our clients and are ready to tackle your case at any moment. Contact us at 210-340-5550 for a free case review, or submit a confidential fact sheet via our website.
Let us fight for you.