As social media starts having more of an influence over our lives and what we share with others, is it any wonder why it is considered taboo during personal injury cases? In most court cases, attorneys have the right to access these accounts if they believe it will help them with a case. We are talking about both plaintiff and defense attorneys here. Here is some information you should know in regards to social media in personal injury cases.
So if you are in the middle of a personal injury lawsuit, you need to protect yourself both online and offline. All an insurance adjuster or attorney has to do is Google your information and find incriminating evidence against you on your accounts.
For instance, say you are injured in a car accident and have a fractured leg to show for it. After a couple of weeks you upload a post on Facebook along with a picture showing you hanging out with friends. That picture can be used against you in court to prove that your claim is false and you don’t need insurance. In fact, they might even try to say you tried to scam the insurance agency which can land you in jail. This is why you need to be careful when posting in social media in personal injury cases.
Dos and Don’ts
So what can you do to minimize those chances? What to do with social media in personal injury cases in order to protect yourself from such claims:
- Try not to use social media as much before your trial and never post anything about your injury on there either.
- Do not update posts with travel plans or arrangements or anything pertaining to any sort of activity that may be impossible with your injuries.
- Once your attorney notifies insurers about your injuries, they will start their own investigation so make sure to keep social media posts activities to a minimum.
- Keep your privacy settings to the highest levels on all of your social media accounts and do not accept any new friends either till the case is over
- Do not post pictures of your injuries prior to the case. Insurers may try to downplay them in court.
- Do a Google search on yourself to determine what information the internet has on you and what others can access as well. Make sure that the results that come up cannot harm your case and if anything crops up, remove it as soon as possible.
Social media in personal injury cases | Attorney Javier Marcos
Even though it might be difficult and arduous to remove all of that information from the internet, it is a necessary process to ensure you can claim the damages you deserve. To ensure the best case scenario or have any questions in personal injury cases, call Attorney Javier Marcos to advise you and fight for you in court. Our focus is on personal injury and litigation cases revolving around workplace injuries, construction injuries, maritime injuries, car accident claims among others. Call us today or drop us an email to hear the rest and how we can help you. We will do everything in our power to ensure you have your day in court without incriminating yourself online.
