Activity trackers to help decide personal injury cases
Don't look now, but the activity tracker on your wrist may be the key to victory in the courtroom -- in the right circumstances, at least. A Canadian woman embroiled in a personal injury claims case will soon use Fitbit data as evidence that an accident significantly limited her activity levels. She'll wear a smart band for several months to determine whether or not she's sufficiently active for someone in her age group and job. If she's clearly behind the curve, she may have strong proof that she deserves compensation.
The tracker only provides limited information and likely won't be the only piece of evidence, but it promises to be far more accurate than having a doctor testify based on a short observation. And if the statistics are deemed admissible, they could set an important precedent (at least, in Canada) for injury cases -- and not just for claims like this. Insurers couldn't force you to wear a smart band, but they might compel you to hand over data you'd already collected if they're suing over possible insurance fraud. In that sense, fitness data is a double-edged sword. While it might save your hide in certain legal battles, it could be a smoking gun in others.
