How Social Media Can Affect Your Personal Injury Case
Most adults today use some type of social media. It allows us to stay connected with our friends and families and share information and updates about our lives. In very little time, users can relay vast amounts of personal information to large numbers of people.
In some cases, however, social media users post something that comes back to bite them. Speaking specifically, social media posts can impact your case if you are pursuing a personal injury claim for compensation.
When Is Social Media Not Helpful In a Personal Injury Case?
When you are suing someone for damages in a personal injury matter, it is much too easy to post something on social media that appears to contradict what you are alleging in your claim. For example, if you sustained back injuries in a car accident and you are suing the at-fault driver for limited mobility and chronic pain, it could hurt your case to post a picture of yourself on a softball team with your friends.
There may be a perfectly logical explanation. You may have been in the “dugout” watching your friends play for most of the game, because of your injuries. The attorney for the defense will still try to use the apparent contradiction between the picture with the softball team as “evidence” and your claim for damages against you.
Evidence is the key to any personal injury lawsuit, and social media provides it. It is the job of the defense attorney to discredit your claim and minimize your damages. If you are not careful and smart, the insurance company’s lawyer could comb through your social media and find ways to demonstrate that your injuries are not as severe as you claim.
Which Social Media Sites Pose the Most Risk When You Are Pursuing a Personal Injury Claim?
Any social networking website has the potential to hurt your claim, including items posted by your friends and family. Defense attorneys will look first on the most popular social media sites for evidence to use against you. These popular sites include the following:
- Facebook: With more than one billion users worldwide, Facebook is, hands down, the most popular social networking site. Lawyers for the defense and the insurance company will go to Facebook first looking for details shared about your accident.
- Twitter: Although not as popular as Facebook, Twitter has added 31 million users in the past few years. This site makes it almost too easy to share your thoughts with your friends.
- Instagram: This has been the fastest growing social media platform for the past several years. Now that it is gaining in popularity, Instagram is likely to be on the insurance company’s radar, along with Twitter and Facebook.
Sound Legal Advice from a Texas Personal Injury Attorney
If you have been injured in an accident caused by someone else’s negligence, it may be wise to speak with a lawyer before you post any personal information on social media. Contact the Sorey Law Firm P.L.L.C. at (903) 207-5526. We can explain your options under the law in a free consultation and advise you on what not to post on social media.