Over the past 20 years, social media has taken the world by storm. Online users across social media platforms are at an all-time high, and most people spend two hours per day on social media. Social media is a great place to catch up with friends or connect with people halfway across the world. However, social media can pose a number of challenges to your personal injury case if you’re not careful. People who have a pending lawsuit should be extremely careful about posting on social media. It can have a negative impact on the account of your case for a variety of different reasons. Mentioning specific information or revealing too much information publicly can harm your ability to receive compensation for your injuries or expenses. 

Protect Yourself

If you use any of the platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Tik Tok, etc., people from the opposing legal team may see what you’re posting and throw doubts on your credibility, the seriousness of your injuries, or how the injury was caused. Here are some practical ways to protect yourself to ensure your social media isn’t used against you during your personal injury lawsuit. 

Change your privacy settings: The first step is to consider what you’re posting and if it can be misconstrued to be unfavorable to your case. The next best thing to do is limit the number of people who can access your social media profiles. Each platform has different ways to protect your content. For example, on Facebook, you can change your settings from “public” to “private” to make sure only people who are included within your private network can see what you’re posting. Just because your profile is private doesn’t mean you should post during the duration of your lawsuit. 

What you post can be used against you: Everything you’re posting after the date of the injury can potentially contradict your personal injury claims and diminish your right to proper compensation. If you claim to have hurt your leg and then you’re seen going for a run in a social media post, that could potentially damage the credibility of your claims. 

Think twice about accepting new friend requests:  A new friend request can be exciting, but while you have an ongoing lawsuit, it’s a good idea to be wary of who you let into your private life. If you don’t personally know them, there is a possibility that it’s someone from the opposing side trying to gain insight into your life. It’s better to be safe than sorry and push back requests until after the trial is over. 

Refrain from deleting anything you post: It’s a good idea not to post at all, but if you decide to post something and delete it in the future, that could be considered spoliation. Spoliation is the act of destroying or ruining evidence that is relevant to the litigation. Spoliation can be a crime in some cases. 

Think Twice Before Posting

Depending on what you post, you may ruin your chances of receiving adequate amounts of compensation due to contradicting claims. The following could possibly be used against you in the courtroom: 

  • Posting pictures of any physical activities while suing for debilitating injuries
  • Posting private settlement details 
  • Checking in at gyms, fitness classes, or sporting activity while claiming to be immobile
  • Posting about making money while claiming lost wages 

These are only a few examples of ways that evidence can be used against you to contradict your claim. Any social media engagement that could potentially be a direct conflict of your original claims could result in the case being dropped. It can be very tempting to update your friends and family about the extent of your injury, but it’s better to do that in person rather than online.

Friedman Law Offices Can Help 

 If you’ve suffered injuries due to the negligence of another person or company, you should consider filing a personal injury claim with Friedman Law Offices. Our experienced attorneys can help build out your case with a FREE case consultation and answer any questions you may have. We’ll help you gather all the evidence necessary and represent you in court should the insurance company not provide you with a fair settlement. We have ample trial experience, and we’re here to fight for you the entire way. 

Contact us today to get started right away. 

800.476.1093