Many of us use social media to share with friends and family. We post photos, status updates, well-plated dinners, and nearly every other little detail about our lives. This might be fun if you are not embroiled in any legal matters, but for someone in the midst of a personal injury case, it is a bad idea and could even be detrimental to the outcome of it.
Why Avoid It?
The insurance adjuster’s job is to poke holes in your case, so expect that your social media will be combed through in an effort to uncover anything that can be twisted against you. If there is a photograph of you enjoying yourself after the accident, the adjuster might say that the accident did not affect you as much as you claim it did.
Rules to Follow if You Continue to Use Social Media
The best advice anyone can give you is to stay off social media entirely until your case reaches a resolution. Not everyone can or is willing to do this, however. If this applies to you, there are still some rules you can follow to ensure that your online presence is not posing a risk to your case. Here are some helpful rules you should follow if you continue to use social media:
Check the privacy settings on all social media profiles. For example, you might have a private account on Facebook, but if your settings allow others to tag you, those photos will not be private. Adjust your settings, so that information and photographs are not available via someone else’s account. You should also make sure that your Facebook profile does not come up on Google searches. To do this, make sure the option marked “Public Search Listing” is left unchecked.
Be careful about which photos you choose to share. True, you might have your privacy settings all locked up, but you should still be careful about the photos you share. Before posting, ask yourself if you would be comfortable with a judge seeing it. If there is even a doubt in your mind about whether or not it might harm your case, do not post it.
Never accept friend requests from strangers. It is not unusual for insurance adjusters to create fake accounts to send a friend request to someone under investigation. If you get a friend request from someone you do not know, it could be the insurance adjuster, so reject it to be on the safe side.
Never join groups that involve subjects that may compromise your claim. What does this mean? If you injured your foot, do not join a running group, or any other group that shows you have in interest in something an injured individual should not be participating in. Sure, maybe you are not partaking in that activity now, but to an insurance adjuster, this is evidence that you are perfectly fine.
As a rule of thumb, you should never discuss your personal injury case online, or on any social media platform. If you feel like you need to talk about it, do so in person with family, close friends, or your attorney.
Greenville Personal Injury Lawyers
At Harris Law Firm, PLLC, we hold negligent parties accountable for their actions. You should not have to pay for their mistakes. If you have been injured as a result of someone’s negligence and carelessness, now is the time to pursue legal recourse against them and obtain the compensation you deserve. For over 30 years, we have been steadfast allies and advocates to the victims of our area.
Get help, answers, and solid representation. Call us today at 877-714-4171. We provide free consultations.
RATE THIS POST
Loading...