Understandably, social media has become a significant part of day-to-day life, with people posting updates about important life events on various platforms. Most users have at least one social media account, with the savvier and more active ones having multiple social media accounts.

Posting on social media could be all fun until it comes to your personal injury case. Before uploading videos, photos, or statuses, about your personal injury case, find out from Manhattan personal injury lawyers how that information could impact your case. The prosecution could use the posts as admissible evidence that could harm your case.

What Risks Do My Social Media Posts Pose to My Compensation Claim?

The content you upload on your social media platforms may be harmless to you but not to your personal injury case. Insurance defense attorneys could investigate your social handles and create a strong defense that could devastate your claim efforts.

Contradicting Your Initial Statement

The most significant risk is that your content could contradict the claims concerning your case. For example, during the case proceedings, you may claim that you experience intense pain and suffering during recovery.

On the contrary, your online photos during the recovery period show an ever-smiling person who regularly hangs out with friends or travels often. The insurance investigators will presume that you’re not in as much pain as you claim to be and hence have a reason not to compensate you.

Social media content could reveal another reason for your pain or worsening condition unrelated to the accident. For example, an event that happened long before the accident for which you lay a claim. The insurance can use this to pay you less than you demand.

Giving Details About the Accident

There are things you don’t want the whole world to know concerning your personal injury case. More importantly, avoid sharing details about the accident as they may be inconsistent with the statement you gave to the police or the insurance adjuster.

It’s also advisable not to make comments about how the case is progressing or derogatory comments about the insurance company and how hard you think they are making your case. All these details could reflect poorly on you and give the defendant a field day in court.

Talking to People You Don’t Know on Social Media

The defendant’s attorney or the insurance company wants to gather as much information as possible from you if they know it can help them win against you. Concerning your social media account, they may use fake accounts to reach out to you to gather information that could harm your case.

Manhattan car accident lawyers can advise you to be careful about who you interact with on social media after an accident. Besides, if you must post content on social media while your case is ongoing, make the posts as private as possible.

How Can I Protect Myself on Social Media?

When using any social media platform, it’s crucial to consider all the people who could see your post, including the defendant, their lawyer, and the insurance claims agent and the investigators.. Since the other lawyer will be looking for information to create a strong defense for their client, use these practical ways to protect yourself when using social media:

Check Your Privacy Settings

Take steps to limit the number of people accessing your social media content. You can do this on platforms like Facebook and Instagram by changing the settings from “public” to “private.”

The action will prevent anyone who is not your friend on the platforms from accessing any information. However, even a private profile doesn’t guarantee total privacy.

Limit What You Post

Anything you post could contradict your claims. You don’t want to water down the effort of your accident lawyers in New York as they try to fight for the compensation amount you deserve.

Be Wary on New Friend Requests

Regardless of how social and outgoing you are, avoid accepting new friend requests when you have an ongoing lawsuit. The defense attorney or the insurance agent could disguise themselves as friends to get access to private information that could hurt your case.

Don’t Comment on Other Social Media Posts

Your comments on other people’s posts could reveal information that should not be in the public domain. Since you can’t control other people’s privacy on their social media accounts, keep off to prevent your comments from ending up in the wrong hands.

Should I Delete My Social Media Posts?

If you realize that your posts on social media could harm your case, you might be tempted to delete them. However, doing so could make the issue worse. Your New York personal injury attorneys will advise you to avoid removing or deleting any pictures or posts as this could constitute spoliation or destruction of evidence, which can be a crime.

Can the Court Order My Social Media Posts?

Social media posts are admissible by law and can be used as evidence against you. That includes your content and comments and those of your friends and family.

The court may demand to see information from your platforms even if the settings are private. If you have temporarily deleted your accounts, a court order could have it reinstated to access your previous social media history.

Strategic Legal Counsel In Your Personal Injury Case

If you sustained injuries or suffered losses in a personal injury case, it’s in your best interest to contact personal injury attorneys in New York to handle your case. They can provide legal guidance throughout your case on what to do to create a strong case. They can also advise you on the dos and don’ts of social media during your case proceedings.

The lawyers at our firm are dedicated to taking the weight off our clients’ shoulders in their personal injury claims. We assure them that their legal rights will remain protected throughout the case. Our firm provides caring attention and efficient service for exceptional results. Book a case evaluation with us today.