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Law Firm Introduces Mobile App
CANFIELD, Ohio – Individuals who have been in an automobile accident or arrested for driving under the influence or another crime can now access their smartphone for information on what to do, using a new mobile application unveiled Wednesday.
David Betras, senior partner with Betras, Kopp & Harshman LLC, introduced the app for iPhone and Droid at the firm’s offices here. Betras says his firm is the first in Ohio to offer such and app, a;though he has seen similar ones being used in California.
“Phone books are old technology just like rotary phones” and are “rarely around when you need one,” Betras remarked. “Whether you’ve been involved in an accident or placed under arrest, the Betras, Kopp & Harshman app provides step-by-step advice that will help you protect your rights.”
The app features a camera/video recorder, text notepad and forms for recording pertinent details and information regarding the accident, as well as a section providing information about the appropriate steps to follow in case of an accident, Betras said. It also includes a global positioning system locator that helps the individual involved with accident facts such as traffic patterns and driving conditions and an emergency services locator to access a nearby ambulance service, car repair shop or police department.
The app is available in the iPhone and Droid app stores and by scanning a QR code on the law firm’s Facebook page.
While he advises people not to drink and drive, “The app offers advice on steps people should take when pulled over for DUI or arrested for any other time of a crime,” he noted.
Most importantly, he said, it provides the user “instant access” to his firm’s legal team around the clock all year. Individuals can email the report to Betras, Kopp and Harshman through the app, or simply use it to record the information without engaging the firm. “So it’s a very useful app even if they just want to download it and not hire me,” Betras said.
The app also can be used to document and report other types of injuries caused by negligence or carelessness such as dog bites, pollution, dangerous products or medical mistakes. “The app helps victims collect extremely valuable evidence that will enable us to aggressively pursue their case and enhance our ability to get the settlement they need to rebuild their lives after they’ve been injured,” he said.
While insurance companies have similar apps available, the “major difference” is that when an accident victim emails the report to an insurer, its adjustors “immediately begin working to convince victims to accept a settlement that’s unfair and inadequate,” Betras said. “When you email your accident report to Betras, Kopp & Harshman, we evaluate your case and immediately begin working to protect your rights and fight for a monetary settlement you need and deserve.”
The firm is developing a domestic violence sector for the app, which would offer features such as information on shelters and a way to calculate child support.
“This is real cutting-edge stuff,” he said. “It was an incredible process to get this app up and running. It was a year in the making.”
Neither Ken Brown, director of public and media relations for the Ohio State Bar Association, nor Chad Burton, a Dayton attorney who relies on newer technology in his law practice, were aware of any other Ohio firms that had a similar app.
Burton, who expects more firms to move toward mobile technology as people use their smartphones for more, says he can see how the app can be helpful. Creating an accident report on the app and emailing it to the law firm is “a smart way of bringing in clients,” he said.
“This is a good way to reach out to people in different ways, either through a mobile-optimized site or an app like this,” he remarked. It’s a good way for a firm to get its name in front of people, he added. “Business cards get thrown in drawers but in theory an app placed on a smartphone is going to be kept in front of you,” he remarked.
Copyright 2013 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
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