Will Peterson, partner at Wood & Peterson law firm is expanding his personal injury practice in Southwest Missouri by leveraging AI technology to enhance efficiency exponentially. With office headquarters in the Joplin area, this small but dynamic law firm has established itself as a leader in personal injury and workers' compensation cases. With a commitment to leveraging cutting-edge technology, Will's practice demonstrates how modern tools can transform the handling of complex injury cases, and help more clients get to the most favorable outcome.

As a small law firm handling complex cases, Wood & Peterson have to manage the extensive documentation and technical analysis required for each case. The firm's caseload includes intricate matters involving medical malpractice, wrongful death, automobile accidents, trucking collisions, nursing home negligence, and other unique matters. Parsing through all of this documentation arising from these complex matters creates substantial workflow bottlenecks, as identifying crucial evidence and connecting disparate pieces of information is particularly time-intensive. For example, a Legionnaires’ outbreak at a commercial lodging facility generated hundreds of pages of technical documents, medical records, hand-written and typed notes, and complex data that needed thorough analysis and organization.

The decision to “hire” Eve was driven by the firm's desire to handle increasingly complex personal injury cases more efficiently to better serve their clients. What started as an exploration into AI assistance quickly evolved into a comprehensive integration of Eve across multiple aspects of the practice, from intake memo creation to demand letter drafting and complex document analysis. Eve functions as what Will describes as "an army of legal assistants who are very timely and very earnest regardless of the time of day." 

The “onboarding” process was seamless, with Eve immediately proving her value across various case types. Upon introduction, Will began utilizing Eve for multiple tasks, including dictation and transcription processing, document analysis and organization, and even class action lawsuit petition drafting. The versatility of Eve's capabilities allowed the firm to customize their use of the technology based on specific case needs and personal preferences. 

Eve's comprehensive document analysis capabilities proved transformative for Wood & Peterson's personal injury practice. In the Legionnaires' disease case, Eve demonstrated her ability to process and organize over 220 pages of technical documentation and complex temperature data, significantly accelerating the case progression. From creating intake memos to drafting demand letters and processing general correspondence, Eve’s powerful analytical capabilities allowed the firm to quickly identify crucial evidence and establish connections that might have taken weeks to discover through traditional methods.

Through his work with Eve, Will has established clear templates and processes that allow Eve to adapt to his preferred style. For intake memos, Will created a specific Blueprint that Eve quickly mastered after just a few uses, noting "I have a style, and she's pretty much got it down." Similarly with demand letters, Eve learned to match Will's format and style. “I view Eve as a team member that I provide instructions to and she then goes out and almost instantly delivers back to my inbox useful information responsive to my instructions for me to review and finalize. And, every time Eve completes a project, she always asks if there is anything else she can do to help and provides suggestions.” This workflow allows Will to maintain his preferred approach while leveraging Eve's unparalleled efficiency.

The AI assistant's versatility shines through its ability to handle multiple aspects of case management simultaneously and to pick up on the nuances between different types of cases. This multi-faceted support has been particularly valuable in complex cases, such as the nursing home negligence matter where Eve identified fraudulent records and discovered novel methods to prove record inconsistencies, showcasing her advanced pattern recognition capabilities.

The overall impact on the firm's operations has been, in Will's words, "tremendous, remarkable, astounding" in terms of efficiency improvements. Eve's ability to function as an " army of legal assistants" has enabled the firm to handle a broader range of complex cases while maintaining high-quality legal analysis. 

The biggest impact has been realized with Eve’s advanced document analysis capabilities. Eve “was amazing at reading all this dense documentation...she then organized it in bullet point format, in a proficient and organized manner for me to ingest. That case has been moved by leaps and bounds because of that."

Eve's ability to analyze complex medical records and internal documentation from the facility not only accelerated the investigation process but also strengthened the client’s legal position by uncovering novel methods to prove record inconsistencies. This enhanced analytical capability has proven invaluable in building stronger evidentiary cases for their clients. Will highlights: “I’ve been very pleasantly surprised with how many insightful suggestions Eve will come up with based on the case facts. Eve will frequently suggest certain paths of exploration that I know add value to the case and which would not have been accomplished with Eve’s ability and efficiency.”

The technology has become so integral to the firm's operations that Will sometimes chooses to stay later than usual, just to collaborate with Eve and maximize her capabilities! This enhanced capacity has positioned the firm to continue to successfully grow their practice in complex and challenging areas such as medical malpractice and wrongful death cases, all while maintaining their high standards of client service. 

The implementation of Eve at Wood & Peterson has not only revolutionized their current practice but also paved the way for future growth. By leveraging AI's sophisticated analytical capabilities, the firm is poised to expand into more complex practice areas and take on more cases. This technological integration has positioned the small firm to compete at a higher level, handling intricate cases with increased efficiency and thoroughness.

‍
Looking ahead, Will Peterson's enthusiasm for AI technology reflects a broader shift in the legal landscape. Will sees AI not as a temporary solution but as a permanent enhancement to his practice that will continue to multiply his firm's capabilities and effectiveness in serving personal injury clients. The firm anticipates that with this technology, they can enhance their ability to serve clients effectively - ultimately leading to improved client outcomes and practice growth.