How Social Media Can Affect Your Personal Injury Case

Two decades ago, nobody could have imagined that social media would have the impact it has on everyday life today. It’s changed the way people share and consume information. Even news outlets have had to change their approach and embrace social media to connect with their audiences.

To some people, information sharing means sharing every detail of their life, from the good to the bad. However, there are things that you should be careful about before posting details concerning a personal injury case on social media.

Even Things That Have Nothing to Do With Your Case Can Hurt It

The opposing side has one job only: to disapprove your claim, which could mean losing out on your entire compensation or significantly lowering your claim’s value. One of the things they will be looking out for is inconsistencies in your case, and social media is always an excellent place to find them. If you think only posts that are injury-related matter, you are mistaken; any post can be used against you.

For example, you could post a picture of you at a party with your friends and family where you seem happy and excited. While the picture may not appear harmful to you in any way, the opposing side could use it to claim your injuries did not significantly impact the quality of your life and, thus, are worth less than you demand.

So rather than risk hurting your case, it’s best to avoid social media after an accident, and if you must use it, ensure that your lawyer vets every post first.

Additional Precautions

If you have to use social media, it is best to take some precautions. Start by limiting who can or cannot see your content on social media. Start with the settings by limiting who can see your posts. There are usually several options. For example, Facebook has only me, friends, friends of friends, and public options. Each option except the public option means there is a limit to who can see your post, but the safest option would be friends only.

You can also disable tagging so that your family and friends do not tag you in pictures that could compromise your case. It would also help to let your close friends know about your case and what they can and cannot do to minimize their chances of hurting it.

However, it is important to know that limiting who sees your post doesn’t always mean it will not be accessed. Privacy settings are only helpful at avoiding raising suspicions that would lead to an interest in your social media accounts and not locking lawyers and insurance adjusters.

“Avoid wanting to delete a post that could affect the case. Lawyers have ways of retrieving deleted content, so not only will they still get where you tried to hide, but also your credibility will be put into question and affect the outcome of your case,” says attorney Brandon Kinard of  KGS Law PLLC.

Social Media Can Be Good

Not all aspects of social media will be bad for your case. If a post is made by someone else at the accident scene, it could help build your case.

For example, suppose a vehicle owner’s dashcam records an accident as it occurs and posts it on social media. In that case, your lawyer can ask them to use their footage as evidence and have them testify in your favor.

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