Case Study: Settlement Video Helps to Win $5.3 Million for Family
by Geomatrix Productions in Legal Video
In May, 2016, a 74-year-old New York man and his wife were driving from New York to Connecticut in anticipation of attending their grandson’s baptism. As they rounded a bend in the road, an SUV driven by a 19-year-old male crossed the center line and struck them head-on. Their car crashed into the guardrails and he died at the scene from massive blunt force trauma. The man’s wife was seriously injured and to date she has undergone at least five surgeries.
The law firm of D’Amico & Pettinicchi, LLC of Watertown, Connecticut, representing the estate of the man, engaged Geomatrix Productions to produce a settlement video in the matter. After interviewing the man’s wife, children, family members and pastor, Geomatrix combined these stories with compelling photos from his life to create a settlement video that was key to winning his family a multi-million dollar settlement, allowing them to move forward with their lives.
According to Attorney Mike D’Amico:
“We recently hired Geomatrix, who we have worked with for decades, to create a settlement video for a tragic wrongful death. Geomatrix was able to powerfully communicate the family bonds and friendships that shaped the decedent’s life, and the music, ministry and motorcycles that he enjoyed so much. The video was instrumental in settling the legal claims for the full liability policy limits of $5.3 million, and in avoiding protracted litigation for his surviving widow and family. Jeremy (Attorney Jeremy D’Amico) and I seldom have a wrongful death case where we do not ask Geomatrix to create a life video. It is a powerful settlement tool.”
Settlement videos can convey the devastation from loss of life in a way no other means can. A well thought-out video testimonial to a lost loved one captures the essence of the decedent’s life. Using photographs and carefully selected interview clips from family and friends, Geomatrix Productions creatively weaves a thread that tells the person’s life story with respect and sensitivity. The video also illustrates what the decedent and their family are now missing due to their tragic wrongful death. These poignant videos can be used at mediation or can be provided to the insurance adjuster and defense counsel.
If you want to win more and win bigger, Geomatrix Legal Video Services will help give you the winning edge.
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This video helped beat the odds.
by Geomatrix Productions in Legal Video
In the unfortunate event of a vehicular accident where a pedestrian is killed, it’s unlikely to consider the potential for the deceased to be at any fault. Sadly, in the case of a trucking accident this circumstance did occur. With a difficult case to both illustrate and prove the attorney turned to Geomatrix Productions to aid him with this task.
“Wanting to present his entire argument in the form of a video, our client provided us with documents that were far too lengthy, complex, and cumbersome for the visual medium. We worked to create a video that presented the story in a visually concise way,” Tom Coben, Animator at Geomatrix Productions.
The team was able to prove it was a series of bad decisions on the part of both the driver of the disabled truck, and the defendant himself that ultimately led to his death. The video illustrates that had the correct precautions been taken, this sad course of events could have been avoided.
According to our client, “The opposing attorney had a simple story to tell, but when you delve into the details it becomes clear there were liability issues. If I had attempted to tell the story in writing, people would stop reading. And, if I had attempted to tell the story verbally, I would have been interrupted. A video has the unique ability to draw people in, and allows you to have your entire story heard.”
Usually arguing for the plaintiff, our client found himself on the opposite side of the bench in this case. Regardless, he was adamant that the use of video is both economic and essential in proving a point.
“If you are dealing with a case worth over half a million dollars, you would be a fool not to make a video. When you are talking about those types of numbers, it will cost 1% of the overall settlement to produce a video. It makes no difference whether you are arguing for the side of the plaintiff or the defendant, and nothing tells a story better.”
This case shows how video can be used to accurately recreate events and communicate a comprehensive argument. The economic value complemented by the unique ability to capture and maintain one’s attention, represent the key benefits video production has to offer in a court of law.
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