fitness tracker

How Fitness Tracker Data May Help Your Auto Accident Case

You use your fitness watch to keep track of workouts and make sure your heart rate isn’t too high, but it can also be an excellent source of evidence after an auto accident. If you were hit by a car, your watch may contain a wealth of information that your attorney can use to strengthen your personal injury claim.

Learn more about all of the fitness watch data that can work on your behalf. When you’re ready to talk about your accident in greater detail, call Turner, Onderdonk, Kimbrough & Howell to set up a consultation. You can reach our Chatom office at 251-336-3411 or our Bay Minette office at 251-336-3697.

Proving the Time and Location of Your Accident

Your watch can be helpful in proving the bare-bones facts of the case. Surprisingly, these facts do sometimes come into question if the other party reports the wrong time or location.

Most fitness watches track GSP data, which can prove when the crash occurred and where it happened. This may be important, as the location of the crash may determine what the speed limit was and what obstacles were nearby, both of which may affect your share of liability. The time of day is also crucial because visibility differs greatly throughout the day.

Evidence of the Severity of the Crash

On some watches, the data you have may even show you how serious the crash was. Some models now come with crash detection. Crash detection indicates when and where an accident happened, and it is generally only triggered in severe crashes. As an added benefit, it also calls 911 on your behalf if you don’t stop the call before the timer reaches zero.

Additionally, your health data may show just how serious the crash was. A spike in heart rate is common after a crash, but a spike in heart rate that isn’t followed by a gradual return to normal could be indicative of a more serious injury or health issue. Furthermore, other health readings on your watch may be indicative of a serious injury after a crash.

Showing the Extent of Your Injuries

One of the biggest factors in a personal injury claim is the severity of your injuries. Even if an injury seems severe right after a crash, it may not warrant much compensation if you heal quickly and with no aftereffects. That’s why it’s so important to have proof of the ways your injury impacts your health.

For example, your fitness tracker may track your active heart rate and your resting heart rate. In general, the lower your heart rate is within a healthy range, the better cardiovascular health you have. If you are relatively strong and healthy prior to a crash but then experience a significant increase in your resting heart rate, that may be a sign of a serious injury.

Your average steps and active minutes are also useful measures of your overall health. If you are injured in a crash and your overall activity level suffers as a result, that will likely be reflected in your daily steps and your active minutes each day. If the insurance company is insisting that you should be fully healed and that your injury isn’t that serious, you can point to your lower activity levels.

You may also use your fitness watch to show that you are keeping up with recommended activity during your recovery. If you track your daily physical therapy exercises and log them on your watch, you can show that you are doing your part to reach a full recovery.

Why You Need a Personal Injury Attorney

To be able to truly use this information to your advantage, you need an attorney. Not only do they know how to present it in a way that benefits you, but they can also guess how the other side may try to use it against you. All in all, this data makes for a stronger case.

Reach Out to Turner, Onderdonk, Kimbrough & Howell Today

If you’ve been injured in an accident, set up a time to talk to the team at Turner, Onderdonk, Kimbrough & Howell. We’re ready to investigate your claim and help you fight for what you deserve. To schedule a consultation, just contact us online, call our Bay Minette office at 251-336-3697, or call our Chatom office at 251-336-3411.

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