Social media is a big part of our lives. Most people spend time every day posting updates and sharing pictures, Most of us use social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other services to connect with friends, family, and work.
However, if you’re involved in a car accident, workplace injury, or any potential personal injury case in Florida, you need to be careful about what you post. The legal team at Flaxman Law Group has worked with thousands of clients and we advise our clients to pause online activities or to abide by a few rules because the reality is that social media use can impact or even harm your case.
Social Media and Personal Injury Cases
Personal injury cases involve you suing someone whose negligence has caused your injuries and losses. You can be sure the attorneys for the defendant are using every option, including social media, to protect their client. If you use social media, attorneys may be looking online for:
- Evidence. Your attorney may look at social media to see whether a defendant often posted about drinking, for example, before injuring you in a drunk driving accident. The other side’s attorney, however, is also looking for any evidence on your social media platforms and even innocent posts could harm your case. Attorneys can actively work on social media to discredit your claims or argue that you were not severely injured.
- Privacy. Social media sometimes reveals more about our personal lives that we realize. Defence attorneys can use this information to try to harm your credibility.
- Perception. If you post pictures or updates that contradict your claims, it could hurt your case. It can affect how a judge or jury see your claim.
Using Social Media During Your Personal Injury Case
If you are involved in a personal injury case in Florida, talk to your attorney about your social media use. Your attorney may suggest:
- Not posting about your case. You don’t want to post any pictures, updates, or videos about your injuries or claim. They could be used against you. Even seemingly innocent posts can be used against you.
- Changing your privacy settings. Change your social media so only approved friends and family can see your posts. Even so, keep in mind that attorneys may get a court order to see your posts or may still be able to access some posts if they’re shared by friends.
- Be careful about what you share and like. Even if you don’t create content, liking or sharing some content may be used to undermine your claims.
- Not using social media chat to talk about the case. It’s not as private as you may think, and your conversations can be used against you.
Your attorney may even suggest you stay entirely off social media while your case is working its way through the legal system. The less you post, the less likely you are to make an error that leaves you with less compensation than you may deserve. At the very least, be extremely cautious about social media and discuss your strategy with your attorney, as well as discussing any past posts you have made that could affect your case.
If you’ve been injured in Florida and need an attorney to help you sort out a strategy for seeking financial recovery for your pain and suffering, you can always call Flaxman Law Group at 866-352-9626 to speak to a live person 24/7. We can schedule a free, no obligation consultation with an attorney working at our law offices in Miami, Homestead, or Hollywood. You can also contact us online or email accident attorney Charles Flaxman at cflaxman@flaxmanlaw.com.