How Should You Treat Social Media During Your Personal Injury Case?
If you plan to file a lawsuit after you suffer an injury due to another party's negligence, one thing you should strongly consider is your use of social media. Anything you post is free game for anyone, including the defendant's attorney. You do not want your case to be impacted because of something you posted. Here are some things to think about:
Will the Defendant's Attorney Be Able to View Your Social Media?
Anyone can see what you post publicly just by logging in to a social media platform. No one will be able to force you to hand over your passwords to view your social media from your standpoint, although the attorneys can make a formal request to check different parts of your accounts to look for evidence. You can decline any sort of request, however.
However, this does not prevent an attorney to view screenshots they obtain from others who do have access to your social media accounts. To best prevent any of your information from getting out, you should set your accounts to private and be mindful of what you do post.
What About Pictures?
Pictures you post on social media can definitely impact your case since most social media platforms integrate pictures somehow. When you post photos online during a personal injury lawsuit, you open yourself up to possible questioning by the defense attorney if those photos show you engaging in certain activities that show you may not be as injured as you claim.
What Is the Best Course of Action Regarding Social Media?
The best defense for you is ensuring you are not doing anything to hurt your case. You should lock your social media accounts and not post anything until the conclusion of your case. You may even want to deactivate your accounts temporarily to avoid the temptation to post anything. Even if you do not post anything, those who comment on your accounts may accidentally say something that can hurt your case, no matter how innocent.
If you must keep a presence on social media for work or family updates, try to not post anything personal if you can help it. You may want to also check the history of your social media accounts and remove anything that could be used against you in a negative way.
If you have any additional questions about social media use during a personal injury case, be sure to contact your attorney. To file a case, contact a company like The Harris Law Firm.