Managing Partner
Social media is a major part of many people’s lives. People use social media to connect with friends and family, meet new people, consume content, and much more. Given the prevalence and popularity of social media, it’s no surprise that it has had an effect on the legal world. Whether civil or criminal, social media can have a major impact on legal cases. In this article, we examine the impact that social media can have on personal injury cases.
How Social Media Can Impact a Personal Injury Case
If you’ve been injured in an accident, a big risk of using social media is that anything you post can potentially be used against you in court by the opposing party. And this even applies to posts that appear to have nothing to do with the accident. For example, even something as simple as a picture of you with your friends and family sometime after the accident can be used by the other party to argue that your injuries are less severe than you claim.
Another major risk of using social media after a personal injury is that it can be used by the other party to challenge your credibility. For example, if you claim that your injuries have significantly affected your life, but your posts on social media suggest otherwise, this can potentially undermine your credibility to the court.
Social Media Tips Following an Accident
Although it’s possible that social media may prove helpful after an accident in rare cases, it’s usually a hindrance to the party seeking financial compensation. Therefore, it’s advisable to be cautious regarding social media after an accident. Some tips for social media use after an accident include:
Update your privacy settings
The first thing you should do regarding social media following an accident is update your privacy settings. Specifically, you should increase them to the maximum level, making sure that your profile is not public visible.
Don’t post about your accident
It can be tempting to post about your accident right after it happens. However, this is a bad idea. Therefore, don’t make any comments, post any photos, or share anything else related to your accident on social media.
Screen your friend requests
Next, you should be wary about new friend requests you receive after an accident. Defense lawyers and insurance adjusters have been known to try to access plaintiffs’ social media pages through friend requests.
Don’t delete anything
Finally, don’t delete any messages or posts after an accident—even content that is unrelated to your accident. Deleting posts or messages following an accident can be interpreted as an attempt on your part to destroy evidence.
Contact a Long Island and New York Personal Injury Lawyer
If you’ve been hurt in an accident in Long Island, New York, Dell & Dean, PLLC, is here to help. When you come to us for assistance, we will review the circumstances of your accident, formulate a strategy, and aggressively pursue financial compensation from the responsible party. Please contact us to schedule a meeting with an experienced Long Island personal injury lawyer.
Dell & Dean, PLLC handles claims throughout Nassau County and Suffolk County on Long Island as well as the boroughs of New York City, and the surrounding areas.
