Social Media’s Impact On Your Personal Injury Case
Social media is a microphone that allows you to express yourself without an intermediary. You are the creator, editor, and publisher of your own ideas. As much as it has revolutionized the way we connect and share information, it can create significant implications during a personal injury case. Many people discuss social media in the context of family law. Still, it is crucial to understand the power and risks associated with social media in any legal situation, including personal injury cases.
When you post something on social media, you give the opposing side evidence to challenge your claim. Although we look at this more closely in a moment, even seemingly harmless posts or photos can be misinterpreted and taken out of context. Opposing counsel can use your own words, images, and statements to undermine your credibility, which, in turn, can affect the outcome of your case.
What You Shouldn’t Do on Social Media
When you work with a personal injury attorney, you have an advocate who will advise you on all matters related to your case. Ask them when you have questions about what you should or should not say on social media. One of the biggest mistakes is assuming they are isolated when their profiles are private.
If someone has ten followers, they falsely believe they are in a safe space to communicate how they would be in a room with them. (Unless your attorney tells you otherwise, it is safe to assume that you should only talk about your case with them.) Private settings are not private. Anyone receiving your posts can screenshot and share them with others.
If you have read our blogs on personal injuries, you may have noticed that we discuss the importance of documenting your accident. To reiterate, these are for your attorney; you should not post them on social media. For example, don’t post that you had a horrible day under a picture that features the damage to your car.
Additional Things to Consider
Everything we are about to discuss here should be done through a personal injury attorney. In other words, we are not advising you to do anything specific with your social media posts. These are merely things that can surface during a case. Remember, what you post can be taken out of context.
Imagine a person with a knee injury who decides to go hiking with friends. In reality, their friends drove them, and the injured person simply sat on a bench and ate lunch with others who weren’t participating in the actual hiking. If that same person simply posted they were going hiking, it creates an entirely different visual. Someone could use that to diminish the value of your claim by challenging the severity of your injuries.
Another thing to consider is people investigating you by creating fake profiles. Though most people already are, you should be cautious about accepting friend requests from people you don’t know. This is an extension of what we discussed previously regarding private profiles never being entirely private. Someone may try to learn more about you by joining your network of friends.
Choose to Partner with Professional Legal Counsel
The touchstones of our firm rest on integrity, a commitment to the highest standards, and accessibility. When you have been injured due to an injury, there will be obstacles and issues to navigate. Some of these challenges, such as social media posts, may be unexpected. At the Law Office of William C. Robinson, we have decades of experience that we will use to support you. For more information about how we assist you with your personal injury case, contact our office to schedule a free consultation.
