Social Media Can Ruin Your Personal Injury Case

Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and other social media platforms have a few things in common: They’re fun, easy to use, and can wipe out your personal injury case with one ill-advised post.

Insurance adjusters, investigators, and defense attorneys will try to tear down your case from the get-go. And social media is a treasure trove of comments, photos, and videos that can be twisted and taken out of context to damage your credibility and attack the legitimacy of your injuries.

For instance, you may want to support a friend by attending his/her wedding, despite your current injury. At the reception, you raise your arms for all of two seconds as you walk across the dance floor. Frozen in time in a photograph, that one action can make it look like you were busting moves all night.

Many people mistakenly believe their social media posts will be off-limits if their privacy settings are properly configured. Not so. Defense attorneys are frequently able to legally gain access to supposedly private posts, pins, and comments.

Even your Google searches can be used against you. If you look up information on zip-lining, that may be distorted to portray you in a negative light.

Erasing past posts won’t do any good. Nothing you post online ever really disappears. Also, family members and friends active on social media could be revealing information about you that can be manipulated. Ask them to refrain from posting anything involving you.

If you have been injured due to someone’s negligence, contact a personal injury attorney. It’s also wise to stay off social media while a claim is pending.