If you are like most Americans, when something big happens in your life, you turn to at least one social media platform to share your news with loved ones, colleagues and others who may be interested in your experience. There is nothing wrong with this approach – most of the time.
However, it is important to resist the urge to communicate about your situation on social media if you’ve recently been involved in a motor vehicle accident. Although it is certainly your right to post whatever you please about the trauma you’ve endured, the injuries you’ve incurred and the expenses you’re grappling with, doing so could compromise the strength of your legal position.
What’s the harm in using social media during your case?
Members of the legal profession and the insurance industry are well aware of Americans’ dependence on screen-based methods of communication. As a result, those who are invested in the outcome of your legal situation will likely do what they can to circumvent privacy settings and monitor your activity. Because social media platforms are public domains, they will not be violating your rights when making these efforts.
If they can find anything that they can use as evidence against the strength of your claim, they almost certainly will. They may even manipulate or purposefully misinterpret seemingly innocent posts, videos, text, photos and reactions to others’ content in order to insinuate that your injuries aren’t that serious or insist that you aren’t truly injured – or both.
If you can avoid social media entirely until your case is resolved, that’s likely a good idea. If you can’t, take great care when posting until that time.
