Social networking is all the rage right now. Nearly everyone from age 10 to age 80 has a Facebook page, Twitter account, blog, or is involved in some other form of a social network. And thanks to smartphones and laptops, people can update their accounts at a moment’s notice, effectively letting the entire world know what they’re doing at that very second. This may be good for making friends, but as any experienced Atlanta personal injury attorney can tell you, this can also be a serious detriment to a personal injury case.
Social networking isn’t private. Despite what you may think, anything you post on these networks can be accessed. That includes photos, status updates, comments, and more. If you’ve been in an accident and are preparing to file a personal injury case, be very cautious in what you post on your social networks. Many things you say or post could be used against you in your case, whether they directly involve your injury or not. If you’re planning to file a claim, an Atlanta personal injury attorney will tell you that it’s best to disable your accounts altogether until your case has been resolved.
Specifically, there are five sneaky ways social networking can negatively affect your personal injury case:
Status updates or photos that show you were up and at ‘em right after the accident. If you’re claiming a car wreck broke both your legs and hindered your ability to walk and go into work, your social networking accounts need to reflect that. A status update that says you just crossed the finish line at a marathon three days after your accident can give the defense evidence against you, proving you to be dishonest and ultimately lowering the likelihood you win your personal injury case.
Photos of the accident showing a lesser degree of injury than you’re claiming. As a rule of thumb, don’t post any photos of your injuries after an accident. Anything that shows your injury as less severe than you claim could hurt your case. This includes not just pictures of your actual injury or hurt body part, but any pictures of you physically exerting yourself or doing some activity that you shouldn’t be able to do with the injury you claim to have.