SMART Reviews founder warns against unchecked AI in litigation support

Katherine Hoffmann, founder of SMART Reviews LLC, says human review still matters in mass tort case screening as firms adopt AI tools. Close Up Radio featured Hoffmann on July 23 while the company pointed to its 500,000-plus claims reviewed, 98% client retention rate and nationwide litigation support work.

Why it matters: - Litigation firms are under pressure to move faster, but AI mistakes can create real legal and financial risk. - SMART Reviews LLC is pitching human verification as a safeguard for mass tort and personal injury dockets where a bad screen can sink a case. - The issue is timely after a Mississippi federal judge canceled a trial over filings that contained AI-fabricated citations.

What happened: - Close Up Radio featured Katherine Hoffmann, founder of SMART Reviews LLC, in an interview with Jim Masters on July 23 at 3 p.m. Eastern. - The company says it supports law firms nationwide with litigation management, quality control, docket review, fraud detection and litigation support. - SMART Reviews works with mass tort, personal injury and motor vehicle accident litigation.

The details: - SMART Reviews was founded more than a decade ago and is based in Ohio. - The company says it has reviewed and validated more than 500,000 claims. - SMART Reviews reports a 98% client retention rate. - The company says its initial quality control turnaround is 72 hours. - Secondary QC includes a welcome call within 24 hours, background checks and internal database searches to find duplicates or fraud. - Docket review services are used to confirm validating documentation and flag non-compensable claims. - SMART Reviews says it completes plaintiff fact sheets, medical reviews and damages metrics to prepare files for strategy sessions. - The company says it has worked on litigations involving Roundup, hernia mesh, CPAP devices, AFFF and Camp Lejeune water contamination. - SMART Reviews also lists Depo-Provera, hair relaxer, Paraquat, Paragard, Maui fires, rideshare assault, juvenile detention center cases and storm and fire litigation among its focus areas. - The leadership team includes directors overseeing case analysis, mass tort litigation, internal operations and litigation management, plus a chief operations officer and chief information officer. - Hoffmann said technology helps with volume, but human verification is still needed to confirm what actually happened. - Hoffmann also said SMART Reviews is built so neither the records check nor the claimant interview gets skipped.

Between the lines: - The company is positioning itself against a growing fear in legal work: automation can speed review, but it can also amplify errors if nobody checks the output. - That message is likely to resonate with firms handling large dockets, where scale often pressures teams to trade depth for speed. - SMART Reviews is trying to turn that tension into a selling point by pairing software with hands-on review.

What's next: - SMART Reviews is likely to continue marketing human-led case validation to firms looking to scale without taking on more risk. - The company is directing readers to more information about SMART Reviews. - The interview is also available through Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio and Spotify. - SMART Reviews also shared a Facebook page for Close Up Radio.

The bottom line: - SMART Reviews is betting that litigation support firms will pay for speed only if a person still signs off on the facts.