Technology for Personal Injury Lawyers
Yesterday, The Daily Record had a feature asking local attorneys their opinion on the biggest way technological advances have impacted the practice of law. Also, last Friday, my colleague Rod Gaston attented the Maryland Trial Lawyers Association's Technology Seminar. This got me thinking about some of the ways we use technology at Miller & Zois to make our personal injury trial practice more efficient and successful:
Case management- we use a program called TimeMatters for case management. This allows us immediate access to just about all of the information that would be contained in a paper file. This puts us on an even footing with the insurance adjusters, who usually work from a detailed claims database. We can collate client data, emails, documents, medical records and bills, and pleadings all in the same place, and have it all available instantly. This program also allows us to more easily keep track of litigation deadlines. This is a big advantage in keeping a busy practice running smoothly.
Off-site access- we use www.gotomypc.com. This allows our personal injury lawyers and staff to have full access to our office systems from home or wherever we happen to be. All I have to do is log in, and I can do nearly anything I can do at the office. Our lawyers also all carry Blackberries, meaning we are nearly always reachable by phone and email.
Using these systems means that we can accomplish our tasks without lugging a mountain of paper everywhere we go. It also lets us work collaboratively, by sharing documents and ideas instantly, no matter where we are. This makes it easier to be successful using a team concept. One of the things Ron Miller is always talking about is maximizing the skills we have in the office to get the best results for our clients. Using technology, we can involve all of our team members when needed, and quickly and efficiently take advantage of the built-in knowledge we all have in different areas. I think being able to work together quickly is a big advantage in the fast-moving world of personal injury litigation.
