Social media is a great tool for remaining in contact with your friends and family. And while you might think it is important to give them an update on your accident/injuries, it is not in your best interest to do so on social media. This is especially the case if you are undergoing a personal injury claim. Follow along to understand how posting on social media will hurt your claim and how a proficient Chesterfield County personal injury lawyer of the Cockrell Law Firm, P.C., can walk you through this.
Why will posting on social media hurt my personal injury claim?
Put simply, whatever you post on social media can only hurt your attempts to recover compensation for your injuries and damages. This is because everything pertaining to your social media accounts is readily public to the defense attorney and the insurance company handling your claim.
Firstly, the defense attorney can use information from your social media posts, pictures, videos, tagged locations, check-in locations, tagged photos, etc., against you in the proceedings. For example, such information might be used to argue that you are not as badly injured as you expressed in your claim. Or, it might be used to argue that you are having a good time when you claimed that you experienced a diminished quality of life after the accident.
Secondly, the insurance company can use this same information from your social media to minimize your payout or deny your claim entirely. So, to mitigate this risk, it is best to remain entirely inactive during your claims process.
What social media tips should I follow during my personal injury claim?
It is in your best interest to follow the below social media tips while your lawsuit is ongoing:
- Do not post regarding any injuries: any posts about your injuries or medical care could provide the defense attorney and/or insurance company with too much information to use against you.
- Do not post regarding the accident: any posts about the accident before an investigation could result in misinformation, you accidentally incriminating yourself, or you risking the confidentiality between you and your attorney.
- Do not post any photos, videos, or tags of any location or other people: any signs of vacations or fun activities with friends and family could damage your claim, as it can be seen as you living your normal life after your accident and injuries.
- Ask your family or friends to not post anything about you or with you: the defense attorney and the insurance company may investigate these social media accounts, as well.
- Temporarily freeze your accounts: you should at least set your accounts to private, along with not accepting any new followers or friends.
For more advice, contact one of the talented South Carolina lawyers today.
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