Nearly everyone has a social media presence nowadays. But if you have a pending personal injury claim, you should think long and hard about what you post.
As many as 69% of Americans use social media. That’s millions of accounts on Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram. People often post about intimate parts of their lives. However, when you’re dealing with a personal injury claim, you could negatively impact your situation with a detrimental post.
If you’ve been injured due to someone else’s negligent or reckless behaviour, you deserve to have someone on your side fighting for you. Call Mila Boyd Law Offices today at 360-433-9361 to find out how we can help you.
What You Should Know About Posting About Your Health
It can be tempting to post about your well-being after an accident. Your friends and family will likely be wondering how you are doing. However, everything you post about your physical and mental health can be used against you later.
If you post that you are “doing okay” or “everything is fine,” the opposing insurance company may use that information to show that your injury is not as bad as you claim. Even a post with very little detail can provide information to the other side.
What You Should Know About Posting Your Location
Many social media websites track your location and inform others where you are posting from. This may seem innocent; however, even your location information can be used against you.
A pre-planned vacation to the beach or attendance at a festival may be used to prove that you are able to enjoy your life as you did prior to the accident. While your lawyer may be stating in your personal injury claim that your quality of life was negatively impacted, your posts including your location may be saying otherwise.
Other People May Tag You in Posts
Although you may try to avoid posting on social media during a personal injury claim, other people may tag you. Tags from friends and family may be set to public and can be hard to avoid. They may talk about you, your accident, and your location. You should ask your friends and family not to tag you, and if you notice that they do tag you, remove the tag as quickly as possible.
If they do tag you without your knowledge, let your attorney know immediately. A legal advisor can help you understand the repercussions of posts on social media.
How to Handle Social Media During a Personal Injury Claim
It’s best to avoid posting about your accident entirely. It can be difficult to remove yourself from social media, even for a brief period of time. Instead, make sure your privacy settings are as high as possible and do not accept any new friend requests.
Ask your friends and family not to tag you in posts, and remove tags from anything that is available to the public. It’s impossible to know exactly what the insurance company can view. Instead, try to avoid posting anything specific about your life or activities during a personal injury claim.
You should not avoid social media completely. In fact, you should monitor your accounts and the pages of your friends and family members. Make sure no one posts about you and your situation.
We Can Help During Your Personal Injury Claim
If you’ve sustained injuries because of someone else’s actions, consult with a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. Your lawyer can review your social media accounts and help you clean things up. If you have questions about a personal injury claim, contact Mila Boyd Law Offices today at 360-433-9361.
