Social media, in general, is not good for your personal injury case. You may think that sharing details about your case – even in a private message – will make you feel better or that your friends will give you good advice, but it can actually damage the credibility of your case.
Facebook is the first place that your insurance company or defendant’s lawyer will check in order to find information to use against you. Your social media accounts may be private, but there is always a way to access them, especially when a judge orders you to give the defendant’s lawyer your passwords because they believe there is something they could use against your case. Some of the aspects of social media that can be used in opposition to you include videos or photos that you are tagged in or have posted, statuses, and private messages.
Defendant lawyers are looking for anything that could potentially prove that you hurt yourself at a different location or negligent person. Just be cautious when posting during a personal injury case and remember that even if you delete a post, it is there forever. The defendant lawyers and insurance companies are there to make your claim go away so they will do anything it takes, which includes reinterpreting your posts’ meaning in order to hurt your claim.
The best-case scenario is to not post at all, but if you must post, try to follow these terms to avoid common social media mistakes:
- Let everyone know not to post anything about you, which includes tagging and messaging. Do not tell them this through social media, give them a call or send them a text about your situation.
- Do not post anything about your injury, good or bad. This includes any financial details.
- Do not comment on anyone else’s posts or talk about your daily routine.
Following these tips will help build a stronger case for your personal injury claim. Have any other questions? David W. Singer & Associates, P.A. would love to assist with your personal injury claim today.
