Social Media Mistakes That Can Ruin Your Lawsuit
Social media is public, and even with the
most stringent of privacy controls, you have to assume that there’s no such
thing as privacy when posting on social networks. The rights of users have
become a political focal point.
But social media remains a go-to platform for
staying in contact with friends, meeting new friends and sharing your life with
the world.
The problem is that social media can also have a
negative impact on a person’s life. Lawyers are using social media to
investigate a person’s personal injury claims, employers are using social media
to learn more about potential employees – it’s a logical starting point to
learn more about a person.
Insurance companies can often track your actions,
and if you posted an update seconds before your accident, the insurer may find
that you were distracted driving and caused the accident.
There are numerous mistakes that you can make on
social media that can ruin your lawsuit.
Stop Talking About Your Case
You may be
told not to mention your case, and that’s because once you do, this information
may be used against you. Posts that mention when you’re meeting a lawyer or
that are used to vent your frustrations can be used against you.
Even
comments that you think are positive can be used by an insurance company to
avoid paying a claim to you.
If you talk
about your case, do it with the understanding that anything you say may be used
against you.
Pictures Can Also Be Used Against You
You may not
post anything relating to your case, but you may be tempted to post pictures.
The problem is that pictures can be very misleading. You may post a picture of
your injuries healing, and the lawyer fighting against you may use this picture
to downplay your pain and suffering.
If you post
pictures of a night out with friends, the lawyer may use the post as a means of
showing that injuries did not impact your social life.
Posting
anything about your physical activity may be used against you. It’s better to
keep all of your physical activity out of the public eye after a personal
injury case is filed. If you’re on vacation or even enjoying a day at the golf
course, lawyers may try to misconstrue this as showing the injury had little
impact on your lifestyle.
What do
lawyers recommend?
Go silent on
social media. If you want to avoid costly mistakes when you’re in the middle of
a lawsuit, put down social media completely. One wrong post or comment can have
unintended consequences and is not worth the hassle of having to explain to a
judge or your own lawyer.
You do not
want to share any medical information you have online, and you also want to
tell friends and family members to do the same. Family members may tag you in a
photo which shows you at a family party weeks after the accident occurred. The
photo may capture the good times, but the photo may not show you leaving the
party after 10 minutes because your back hurt so bad that you couldn’t stay any
longer.