Why It’s Always a Bad Idea
When you’re regularly active on Facebook, Twitter or some other social media platform, you want to share what’s going on in your life with your friends. That’s a big part of why you’re drawn to social media. Naturally, when you’ve been hurt in any type of accident caused by someone else’s carelessness or negligence, you want the people you communicate with every day to understand what you’re going through. Unfortunately, it’s almost always a bad idea to share anything about an accident or personal injury in an online post. Here’s why.
Defense Lawyers and Insurance Adjustors Will Often Monitor Your Social Media Accounts
If you have a Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp or TikTok account, you can expect that someone associated with the defendant or the insurance company will see what they can find there. Anything you post online can be the subject of a subpoena and may be introduced as evidence in court. Often, you’ll post something you consider to be harmless, but the insurance company and/or or its counsel will take it out of context and use it against you.
There’s even greater risk to posting photographs of yourself online after an accident. You may put a picture on your Facebook page showing how much progress you’ve made in your recovery from your injury, but a defense lawyer may introduce the same picture at trial to suggest that your injuries were not as serious as you allege they were.
What Should You Do about Social Media after a Personal Injury?
Though it may be difficult, the best strategy after any type of personal injury is to deactivate all social media accounts. Then, you’ll never have to worry about any post being taken out of context and used against you. You can also use privacy settings that limit access to your social media account, but defense lawyers may ask the court to allow them access to your posts.
Of course, you’re not the only one who might post pictures or articles about you online. Ask friends and family to refrain from doing so until your legal issues have been fully resolved.
Contact Howard D. Popper, P.C.
At Howard D. Popper, P.C., we can help protect your rights. For a free initial consultation to discuss your options after a motor vehicle accident injury, contact our office online or call 973-993-8787 to set up an appointment. We have offices in Morristown and Newton.
We handle all personal injury claims on a contingent fee basis. You won’t pay any attorney fees unless we recover damages for your losses.