A personal injury itself is an extremely agonizing experience – and as a personal injury victim, you would never want your posts, pictures, and videos on social media to impact your injury claim. Sadly, in today’s digital age, everything is fair when it is to the internet and that also includes possibly ruinous information picked from online social media.
Therefore, it is crucial to understand how things you post on social media can affect your injury case if you want to file a personal injury claim and how to avoid certain legal pitfalls that could prevent you from receiving fair compensation.
Here, experienced personal injury attorneys in Clermont, Florida will discuss how social media can affect your personal injury case while advising on what you should do (and what you should not do) on social media if you want to pursue an injury claim.
Continue reading if you or someone you know has sustained injuries in an accident due to someone else’s fault and is planning to file a claim. Remember that the skilled personal injury lawyers at MANGAL, PLLC – Clermont Personal Injury Law Firm are always available to fight for your rights.
Social Media in the Courtroom
Over the last few years, the role of social media has increased phenomenally in personal injury cases. Pictures, videos, and posts on social media can make a massive impact on legal proceedings in court. Whether these are used to discredit or back an injury claim, such material is reviewed regularly by lawyers and the jury during the trial of a personal injury case.
Such material can possibly make an enormous difference to the outcome of a personal injury claim. For this reason, it is important for people – involved in a legal dispute related to personal injuries – to know how their online activities, specifically on social media, could affect their case. In such a situation, hiring an experienced personal injury attorney in Florida who can respond with compassion and understanding is their best bet.
How Social Media Can Be Used Against You in a Personal Injury Claim
Social media today is certainly an easy and effective way to keep in touch with family and friends. Sometimes, it can also serve as compelling evidence to back a personal injury claim. For example, if you have sustained injuries while at work and your coworker posted a picture or video of the mishap on social media, it is likely that the video would be used to record your suffering and pain.
On the contrary, when you are involved in the process of filing an injury claim and trying your best to prove your case, anything found on social media that is different from the story you are presenting in front of the judges and jury can be misinterpreted, which may cast doubts on your credibility. Additionally, even if a person stops posting anything on social media while he/she is pursuing a claim or his/her case is under trial, other individuals might post something on social media, depicting his/her involvement in activities that might weaken the case.
Now, let’s get back to the work injury example discussed above. So, when you are involved in a personal injury lawsuit and you claim that you were severely injured at work job, and if someone posts a video of you attending a party, dancing, or having fun, your employer might argue that your injuries at work have not affected your life considerably.
Therefore, it is important to note that social media could be used as evidence that the defending party may use against you in court. This is the reason why you should always exercise caution when posting anything online while you are seeking a claim, or your case is under trial. It is best to consult with a reputed personal injury lawyer in Clermont, Florida, particularly if you have already filed a claim.
Social Media Best Practices During a Personal Injury Claim
If you have sustained injuries in an accident and you are a social media user, consult with your accident attorney in Florida about how you should use your social media accounts during the claim process. Your lawyer will likely recommend the following:
- Do not post anything about you being involved in an accident.
- Do not post any videos or photos of your injuries or the accident that caused your injuries.
- Do not post anything that might depict your mental condition or physical status.
- Do not post about the lawsuit or insurance claim.
- Change your “Privacy” settings to allow only your friends/connections to see your posts.
- Do not accept connection/friend requests from people you do not know very well.
- Ask your family members and friends to keep their comments and questions offline.
- Ask them to not tag you in their posts.
- Do not delete any existing content without asking your attorney.
Hire an Experienced Attorney before Posting on Social Media
Undoubtedly, posting updates, pictures, and videos online, especially on social media, can tremendously affect our lives. Not all the time do we tend to be conscious of how our posts might be perceived by other social media users. When it is to personal injury claims, ignoring the kind of content we share with the rest of the world can have perilous consequences. What might initially seem a harmless post can become a damaging piece of evidence in court in no time, eventually lowering the validity of your case?
To make sure what you are posting on social media will not be used against you in legal matters, make sure you hire an experienced personal injury lawyer in Florida. At MANGAL, PLLC Clermont Personal Injury Law Firm – our professional injury lawyers have many years of combined experience and are readily available to advise you on everything related to your personal injury case, including social media.
If you have recently suffered injuries, let us fight for your rights to help you obtain the compensation you deserve.
