Social Media and Personal Injury Cases: the Dos and Don'ts

If you have a personal injury case ongoing, you might want to steer clear of social media completely. One of the things investigators in your case will require is your social media activity, including deleted posts. Insurance companies want to extract information to support their arguments and keep them from paying you what you deserve.

Therefore, even if you do not leave social media, be careful what you post. You do not want to give those insurance adjusters what they need to downplay your injuries and cut your settlement. With that said, below are some of social media's biggest dos and don'ts when you have a personal injury case

Tell Friends and Family to Exclude You From Social Media Activity

Let your family know you have a delicate case and must be careful. As such, they should not include you in any social media posts during the case. Investigators will not check your social media handles alone; they will also check your friends and family. One wrong photo or comment about your accident can make them deny your claim, injuring your case.

Do Not post Anything About Your Injuries

No matter what, resist the temptation of talking about your injuries on social media while the case remains active. While documenting information about your injuries is important, posting it on social media can damage your case. You could unintentionally reveal your plan to the opposing team, thus giving them ideas on how to fight your case.

The major discussions that will be held during the case will be about your injuries and recovery. Therefore, do not post about your recovery process so that you do not give the at-fault party’s insurance company reasons the upper hand. They can downplay the seriousness of your injuries, reducing how much settlement you get – or if you get any.

Keep the details of your injuries, including medical bills, scans, and other evidence, with your attorney alone. These will help your lawyer build a strong case and negotiate a good deal from a strong position.

Do Not Share Vacation Pictures

There is nothing wrong with taking a vacation while your personal injury case is ongoing. After all, your body needs time to heal, depending on the severity of your injuries. However, avoid posting details about your vacation on social media; this could harm your case.

You want the at-fault party to know how your injuries have affected your happiness and abilities. Imagine what would happen if their investigators found a photo of you on the beach, sun-tanning, on Facebook. You do not want to give the opposition something they can use to demonstrate that your injuries are not severe.

Pause Social Media Activity Altogether

It can be hard to remember all these rules and easy to forget yourself and mistakenly post something you should not. As such, it might be better to pause social media activity altogether and focus on essential things. Plus, considering the many activities involved in personal injury cases, social media may become a distraction.

Conclusion

“Personal injury cases are delicate; things can go wrong if you are not careful,” says attorney Michael McCready of McCreadyLaw Injury Attorneys. If you can, we recommend staying off all social media activities until the case is resolved. However, if you cannot, be mindful of what you post so that you do not end up hurting your case.