For decades defense and claims professionals have made critical case decisions based on paper—transcripts, reports and summaries that remove the human element from testimony. Yet 93 percent of communication effectiveness is nonverbal (Mehrabian’s Communication Model, UCLA Federal Judicial Center). Tone, body language and expression reveal what words alone cannot.

The insurance industry currently spends between $10 and $15 billion each year on the deposition process, accounting for up to 35 percent of total litigation cost (Federal Judicial Center). Despite this, most depositions are never reviewed in full by litigation managers and valuable insights are lost. The result is inefficiency, inconsistency and avoidable loss.

Second Chair™ was built to change that. By integrating video depositions into a real-time, searchable platform, we make it possible for claims professionals to see the witness rather than only read their words. This provides firsthand impressions of credibility, demeanor and likeability—factors that strongly influence jury decisions and settlement outcomes.

The outcome is clear. Better information leads to better evaluations and better results. Video modernizes the process and brings humanity back into case assessment. In litigation, understanding the people behind the case remains the most powerful advantage of all.