Can Social Media Ruin My Personal Injury Case?

Social media certainly has the potential to affect many aspects of a person’s life. While having a social media account can be enjoyable and a great way to connect with others, it also has its downfalls. Very little of life is private when you’re active on the internet, and a great deal of thought should go into what you do decide to post about yourself and your life.

For those with active personal injury cases, a number of legal challenges can arise from being overly present on social media. The last thing you want is to post something that could work against you in court. Keep these 4 things in mind when navigating your social media presence during a personal injury case.

Less Is More

Exercising caution when it comes to what you post on social media should always be a priority, but it’s even more crucial while you’re dealing with a personal injury case. If you’re claiming a specific injury and you post a photo or video where it looks as though nothing is wrong, that can prove to be damaging for your case. Keep in mind that once content is posted, there’s no way to prevent someone from screenshotting or screen-recording what you post—even if you decide to delete it minutes later.

Double Check Your Privacy Settings

It’s a good idea to set all of your social media accounts to private during an ongoing case. This means only people you’ve selected can see what you post. Be sure to double-check your current settings, and take the time to adjust anything that needs to be a little more strict. 

Don’t Accept New Friend Requests

Unless you know without a doubt that someone is who they say they are online, accepting a friend or following a request from them isn’t a safe option. Even if you have all of your social media accounts set to private, someone could pretend to be a person you know and request to follow you. If you’re in the middle of a personal injury case, someone from the other side could be trying to find information to use against you. Play it safe and wait until your case is closed to accept new friend requests.

Be Careful of What You Say

In addition to photos and videos you post on social media, be extremely careful of the comments or captions you write as well. Though your own captions can be deleted, it’s still possible to take screenshots of what’s written. Keep in mind that comments you leave on other people’s photos are also public, and you have no control over the privacy on their page.

In general, it’s better to be safe than sorry when it comes to social media during an ongoing personal injury case. If you do find yourself injured in an accident, be sure to find someone you trust to help you fight your case. Utah personal injury attorneys are experienced in helping people receive the compensation they deserve and get their lives back on track after an accident.