While posting on social media is a daily or weekly habit for many, it can hurt or impede your personal injury case if you don’t use precaution. Your claim could be denied, your compensation could be reduced, or the path to a favorable outcome could become much more difficult. Here are some ways that social media can affect your personal injury case in a negative way.
Your posts can be twisted
A seemingly innocent post can break your case. The other side can take your words or images from your social post out of context and use them against you in court. Even if you feel you are being careful and taking the necessary precautions, something that you think is not related to your case, could end up being very relevant. Posting anything about the accident, your injuries, or how you are feeling physically or emotionally is not recommended.
Your family’s posts matter
If you’re being careful with your social media, it doesn’t mean that your family and friends can post anything that they want. Sharing details about you or the accident could paint you in a negative light, and if the details aren’t accurate, it could damage the outcome of your case. Outsiders can reflect the accident with the wrong facts or share information that you would choose to keep private. Let your loved ones know the importance of not oversharing on your behalf, even if they have your best interests at heart.
Your privacy settings might not protect you
Once you post something online, you lose part of the control you had over who sees what you say. While there are ways to feel better about what you post online, don’t rely too much on your privacy settings. Getting comfortable because you chose the right safety option is not as safe as it might sound. No matter if you choose “only friends” or you believe you are sharing with a limited audience, there are stories all of the time where the other side gets a hold of your social posts and uses them against you.
You may contradict your own testimony
You don’t need the other side on your heels when you contradict yourself and do their job for them. A careless (or even thought out) social media post can call the facts of your case into question. Your social media may come back to hurt you in ways that you might not be able to predict. You might even innocently mischaracterize the seriousness of your injury at first, hurting your chances of full compensation, when it turns out to actually be a lot worse.
Don’t inadvertently post something that will come back to hurt you later. The fact is that social media can affect your personal injury case and have a negative impact on the outcome. Personal injury cases can become complicated very quickly. At Liberty Trial Law Group, we know the law, we can navigate exceptions, and we understand these types of cases. If you need legal assistance or further information regarding a personal injury case, contact Liberty Trial Law Group at (816) 792-4400.