Car Accident Attorneys

In today’s social climate, people are posting more and more of their daily lives on social media than ever before. Different social media sites are used to share photos, keep in touch with friends and family, and discuss current events. Many details of our lives that used to be kept private or known only to a handful of people are now shared online for many more people to see and comment on. If you have been injured in a car accident, you should think long and hard before sharing anything on social media. Here are some helpful tips regarding social media if you are injured in a wreck:

Anything you post can and will be used against you

Nowadays, adjusters and defense attorneys will investigate all social media accounts when evaluating an injured person’s claim. Even photographs of relatively benign things, such as a family outing or a grocery store trip, can be turned against you. They can twist those situations to fit their narrative that you are not as hurt as you say you are, or they will suggest that if you were really hurt, you would not be out and about. Those types of arguments can sometimes be persuasive to a jury and lower the value of your case. Additionally, if you have retained a lawyer, posting certain things on social media may affect your attorney-client privilege and allow the opposing party to delve into what normally would be privileged communications. It is better to avoid the situation altogether by not posting anything on social media after being involved in a car wreck. 

Check your privacy settings and consider setting your account to private

Another way to protect yourself is to set your social media privacy settings to private. Nearly all social media platforms allow you to decide who can see what you post. There is often a public setting (which may be the default setting if you do not change it), where anyone who looks at your profile can see everything you post. There may be several other settings, but usually there is also a private setting, where someone must be your friend or otherwise invited by you to view your page. Adjusters, and especially defense attorneys, are prohibited from asking to be your friend to try to view your posts, but they are free to view all public information that you post. Therefore, setting your account to private can offer you another layer of protection to avoid prying eyes. As discussed above though, the safest way to ensure you are not jeopardizing your injury claim is to avoid posting anything.

The best thing to do after being injured in a motor vehicle collision is to contact car accident attorneys. Experienced car accident lawyers like those available at Garrett, Walker, Aycoth & Olson, Attorneys at Law can explain the process to you and discuss how social media may affect your claim. Call before hitting the post button!