Social media has without question revolutionized the manner in which we interact and communicate with one another. A quick check of some of the more popular social networking sites today, such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram readily reveal both, the sheer volume as well as the range of posts that are added routinely. From vacation photos to opinions on social and political issues, our social media pages have become an integral part of our lives and perhaps, even our identities. To a large extent, this is due to the numerous social media apps and tools that allow us to maintain a ready and continuous presence on these sites.
While there are many benefits to using social media, such as maintaining personal contacts and keeping in touch with family members and friends, it does present a few risks. One of the most common problems and dangers associated with social media usage is oversharing, or revealing too much about yourself. Oversharing could be particularly detrimental to your personal injury case.
If you or a loved one has been injured and you are currently in the process of pursuing compensation for your losses, here are three things you should bear in mind about social media and its potential effects on your personal injury case.
<strong>1. Social Media Has a Long Reach</strong>
According to a 2016 study conducted by the Pew Research Center, the influence of social media has grown as more of us participate in it. What you share on social media could affect you personally as well as professionally. Pew’s national survey of 1,520 adults found that Facebook continues to be America’s most popular social networking platform by a substantial margin. Eight out of 10 Americans who are online (about 79 percent) use Facebook. About 68 percent of all U.S. adults are Facebook users while 28 percent use Instagram, 26 percent use Pinterest and 21 percent use Twitter.
In the context of your personal injury claim, this means that what you say online can be viewed by not just your family members, friends and colleagues, but also by insurance companies and defense lawyers. It is important to remember that social media posts can be used to dispute the severity of your injuries and to invalidate your version of what occurred and how it occurred. Insurance companies and defense lawyers may even be able to track what social media sites you visit or the types of posts you “like” or “follow” and use that type of information against you.
<strong>2. Online Posts Can Be Used as Evidence</strong>
If you have filed a personal injury lawsuit, it is important to know that online posts including photos and videos are increasingly being used as evidence in court. Defense attorneys are getting more adept at using the time, date and content of an online post to cast doubt on your version of events, your character or even the nature and extent of your injuries. Examples of posts that could adversely affect your claim may include photos or images of you skiing, dancing or enjoying a night out with friends.
Defense attorneys may use such posts as evidence that you were not really injured or not severely injured. Another example of a post that could adversely affect your injury claim is one where you make comments about the details of the incident that caused your injuries. Insurance companies or defense attorneys could twist your own words to their advantage.
<strong>3. There Are Steps You Can Take</strong>
There are safety measures you can take to help ensure what you post online doesn’t harm your personal injury case. Here are a few tips:
- Be careful when you make comments or when posting photos or videos, whether it is on your own blog or social media site or on someone else’s page.
- It is important to remember that once something is posted online, it may remain in on the Web permanently. Even if you manage to delete it, if someone got a screen grab before you deleted it, the post could still be used as evidence against you.
- Revisit your privacy settings. Change your settings from “public” to “private.”
- Don’t allow yourself to be “tagged” on photos, videos or comments that others post.
- Block applications that share your information automatically.
- Do not post details about your accident or any specifics involving your case including financial details.
- Do not post anything about how long you were in a hospital, if you are undergoing physical therapy or when you resumed work or regular activities.
- Do not try to contact other parties involved in your personal injury claim.
- Do not post anything negative about other parties including the insurance company involved in your case.
Generally speaking, the best approach will be to suspend all online and social media activity until your case is resolved.
<strong>Contacting an Experienced Lawyer</strong>
If you or a loved one has been injured as the result of a traumatic event, the experienced <a href=”https://work4youlaw.com/the-firm/” target=”_blank”>New York personal injury attorneys</a> at the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm can help you better understand your legal rights and options, and also fight hard to recover just compensation for you.
Please contact us TOLL FREE 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496). <strong>WE CAN EVEN COME TO YOU. There is no attorneys’ fee unless we recover money for you.</strong> We can also help with personal injury cases in New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Florida. If you have been seriously injured in any of the 50 U.S. states, please call us and we will try to help you with your case.
Other TOLL FREE phone numbers for us are:
1-800-RADIO-LAW, 1-888-WYPADEK, OR 1-800-LAS-LEYES
Please visit us at: www.WORK4YOULAW.com
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