Iphone 5c lost icould

Question

I am posting this for my girlfriend, this is our last resort.  We have visited the iphone store, and talked online with support.  Last year this time she upgraded from an iphone 4s to a 5c.    A clerk at Verizon helped her set up the phone.  Fast forward to last week, she dropped the 5c and dislodged the back plastic case.  The phone would not turn on.  We had another brand new 5c that had never been used, she set it up.  She signed into Apple account and nothing as far as the pictures or videos uploaded.  We are being told that the old phone did not back itself up for an entire year.  She is not very good technologically speaking, so this is entirely possible I guess.  We are being told the icloud is empty.
Our only hope now is to be able to turn on the old iphone?  Is it possible to just send it off and have it fixed and thereby retrieve the data?  Has anyone ever heard of a phone that was simply dropped on carpet being damaged in the way.  The phone does not look physically broken, just must be dislodged inside.  I also am surprised that he iphone did not back itself up as it was hooked to wifi and all that.
Any help or guidance would be appreciated!

Answer 1

If you did not backup the device, the data is probably lost.  You don't have to be 'good with technology'.  All you have to do is sign into your Apple ID in the Settings > iCloud, turn on iCloud backup, and it happens automatically.  If there is nothing at all in the iCloud, then this wasn't done.  Also, Apple has provided iTunes as a backup option for many years, even long before iCloud was available.  This option was also available, and it's not very difficult to do so.
As far as how it got damaged?  It didn't just drop onto the carpet.  If that was the 'straw that broke the camel's back', perhaps, but the back case doesn't dislodge from such a simple impact.  Something happened to it before that.
Apple will not make any guarantees of retaining your data.  You can take it to a store, see if they can fix it, and then try to back it up.  There are no reliable third-party services out there, and using them may void any and all warranty support.
In short, without a backup of your data, which is your sole responsibility, then the data may be gone.  Best of luck.