Five Ways to Keep Your Social Media from Crashing your Accident Claim

Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, YouTube. These are five of the most trafficked social media websites, and the way you use them can be the reason you don’t receive fair compensation for your motor vehicle accident claim. Here are five tips to safeguard your social media from being misinterpreted and used against you:

1. Adjust Your Privacy Settings

Is your account private? It should be. Help safeguard your posts by making your account, photos, and posts private. A photo of you at the beach, on a hike, or at a party can be taken out of context to damage your credibility and disprove the extent of your injuries.

2. Don’t Live-Tweet Your Recovery

Resist the urge to post photos, blogs, or comments about your accident. Whatever you share with your friends or the public isn’t subject to privilege, which means anyone, including opposing counsel, can you use your words against you at trial or during settlement.

3. Moderate Your Content

On the above note, if you must keep posting photos, blogs, or videos, ensure you think about how your posts might look to an outsider. Your injuries are real and have impacted your life negatively, but if it looks like you are able to thrive just as much or more than you were pre-accident, it can damage your claim.

For example, if you say that you are unable to run, but post a photo finishing your first half-marathon, the evidence to the contrary you’re offering up voluntarily can be used against you.

4. Watch Your “Friends”

Ensure your friends are not posting content of you doing things you have claimed you are unable to do, as the posts may be accessible by outside parties. On this note, also make sure you are careful about whose friend/follow/subscribe requests you accept. It may not be a friend, but an investigator looking to dig up dirt.

5. Be Open with Your Lawyer

Think you might have posted something(s) that might damage your claim? Tell your lawyer now. The best way for you to get fair compensation is to ensure you and your lawyer have an open, honest relationship, so there are no surprises from defense counsel when your lawyer goes to advocate and negotiate on your behalf.