Many people turn to social media to post about every detail of their lives. From a friend’s birthday, to the birth of a grandbaby, to a photograph of today’s lunch, all details about people’s lives are exposed online. Even if one uses privacy settings to restrict the amount of information others can see on their profile, odds are the word will get out about their posts. When it comes to personal injury cases, it is important to know that social media posts can affect a claim.
What You Should Avoid Posting Online
We have seen instances where the defendant’s lawyer is on a mission to reduce the seriousness of our client’s injuries or situation. They will scour the internet for anything that might help them and their client, or else give them something they can misconstrue to their benefit in court. Because of this, we tell our clients to veer on the side of caution and avoid posting anything related to their case.
We tell them it’s best not to post anything about the particulars of the accident or event, including pictures from the accident scene, their injuries, medical treatment, etc. We caution also that it is important to be aware of their situation in other people’s posts and not to engage in conversations in posts about their accident or claims. We would hate for our client’s photos or comments to be misconstrued. That said, we counsel against deleting anything they might have already posted, as this could be seen as improper destruction of evidence in any future litigation that may arise.
Finally, we suggest our clients set their social media profiles to private and avoid accepting new friend requests, as one never knows who may be trying to get into their circle to gain information. We actually had this happen in a case where a “friend of a friend” befriended our client and then passed the information on to the lawyer who was defending the insurance company our client had sued. Although the judge in our case had ruled against the defendant delving into our client’s social media posts, the defense lawyer figured a way around it. It goes without saying our client felt betrayed and violated by this.
Call A Reliable Lawyer to Handle Your Case
When suffering from a personal injury, make sure to have a lawyer you can count on. We believe our clients’ legal needs are best served when the strengths and skill set of each Fulmer Sill team member are fully utilized in a collaborative way on every case. If you are looking for a trustworthy, reliable team to work with, we will have your back. Call us today to learn more (405) 433-7414.
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