Social Media’s Impact on Personal Injury Cases

When you have been in a personal injury accident and are hoping to file a claim or a lawsuit, one of the biggest things that can impact moving forward is talking about it on social media. You may believe that venting about an accident on social media is a safe way to get your frustration out or you may wish to do so because you want to update your friends and family about how you are after an accident. Both of these are completely reasonable. That said, it is important that you watch what you say about an accident when you want to move forward with legal action.

When To Avoid Social Media

Your friend and family may want to know how you are doing, whether your injuries are healing, and what kinds of treatment you will need moving forward. While it is great to have this kind of support group, you are leaving yourself open to the public knowing what happened and how you are healing. Any of this public information could be used against you by an insurance company if you hope to receive compensation for the accident. 

  • You may be “checking in” to places. Many social media apps allow you to check in when you visit somewhere. If you checked in at an amusement park or your local gym, this could go against your testimony when you say that you were injured after an accident. 
  • You may prove your injuries are not that serious. If you post pictures of you dancing, walking, or moving around, this could show that your injuries were not as serious as you said they were following the accident. 
  • You may be revealing too much in your comments. As lawyers, like personal injury lawyers from a law firm like The Law Firm of Frederick J. Brynn, P.C. understand, when friends and family ask how you are doing on social media, you probably want to update them and reassure them that you are doing alright and healing. However, an insurance agent could take these comments and show that you do not need as much compensation as you are asking for because you are already well on your way to getting better. 

Updating your social media after a personal injury accident can be difficult because you never want to reveal too much to the public. It is best to keep your comments to friends and family private or in-person so that you do not hurt your chances of receiving compensation for your injuries. For more information, please reach out to a local attorney.