If you have recently been in a car accident, you might be suing another driver or a car insurance company. These lawsuits can be grueling and difficult to handle in any circumstance. The truth is that social media could be your biggest enemy in this fight. Insurance companies and lawyers monitor social media when they are facing personal injury suits.
Remember that Everything You Post Is Public
Even if your settings are "Private," take note that everything you post may be visible to the public. Your posts, comments, and photos may be screenshot for use in a courtroom. Downloading photos and forwarding them is also just as simple.
Thinking about sending a private message about your accident? Think again. Your messages can still be shared with others, and it may even be legal in your state without you even knowing.
Remember that Everything You Post Is Permanent
Even if you delete a post or photo, you can never be sure that a cached image or screenshot does not remain. Never post something that you do not intend to be on the Internet forever, especially as it pertains to your court case. What you post can be used against you.
This means that you should refrain from posting things like, "Was in a car accident. Everybody in the car is fine." Affirming that nobody feels hurt or injured, even if you are not being totally accurate, could be used in court to show that no injuries resulted in the accident. You are showing your friends and family members that you are safe, but you are also telling your adversaries that the lawsuit is unnecessary.
Remember that Photos Can Haunt You
The photos you post on social media can play a role in you losing your court case. For instance, you might report to insurance or in a lawsuit that you have leg pain that prevents you from working. Following that with a photo of you hiking up a mountain or running a marathon would demonstrate that this claim is not, in fact, true. Even if you were having a good day free of pain, these are not the images you want presented as evidence against you in the courtroom.
Hire a Car Accident Attorney
The best thing you can do after a personal injury is to avoid using social media at all. It is simply unnecessary to discuss your car accident claim on the Internet at all.
A car accident attorney is there to help you make good decisions for your future, which hopefully includes winning your case. Hire an attorney who can advise you about what to post on your social media.
