Almost everyone uses social media these days. Social media is a powerful and valuable tool that allows us to stay connected with friends, family, and loved ones. In addition, it enables us to give people updates on important events in our lives and share information with masses of people.
More and more people are using social media almost as a therapeutic tool or a support network after mishaps in their lives. As humans, we may naturally want to share and vent when we have difficult situations arise in our lives. So it’s entirely understandable that we want to reach out to loved ones for support after a traumatic event, for example, a car accident.
And while social media can serve as a rewarding and powerful feat to provide comfort for those facing hard times, sometimes the use of social media after a car accident could hurt your case. You could unintentionally hurt your chances of recovery by carelessly posting on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.
We’ve compiled a list of ways that social media use could harm or even destroy your case in this article. If you decide to file a personal injury claim after a car accident, you’ll want to avoid any practices that could jeopardize your claim and affect your chances for compensation. An experienced Denver car accident attorney will likely advise you to use extreme caution when using social media if you have an ongoing personal injury case.
Common Ways That the Defense Attorneys Could Use Your Social Media Accounts Against You
They May Try to Interpret Your Comments About the Crash as an Admission to Guilt
Sometimes in stressful moments, we say things we usually wouldn’t. For example, many people naturally want to apologize after a car accident, even if it wasn’t their fault. Such statements, like an apology, can hurt your case. Once you post on social media, the web will preserve your words as evidence for the defense’s case to use against you.
Even a seemingly innocent comment like “I couldn’t stop in time” could give the other side something to use against you. For example, the opposing may argue that you had some contributory negligence in contributing to your injuries.
Insurance companies may hire attorneys or investigators specifically to go through your social media accounts and look for anything you’ve said relating to the accident. Their goal is to find any material they can use against you and try to catch you contradicting your story.
You May Contradict Your Testimony
You could accidentally say something in a post that contradicts what you claim in your car accident case. For example, if you claim to have a broken arm but post about doing yard work around your house, you have created a contradiction in your story. Something as simple as posting pictures or sharing your Sunday gardening activities with friends and family can prompt the defense to question the extent of your injuries.
Talking About Your Case Could Destroy Your Confidentiality
When you discuss the details of your case with a Denver car accident attorney, you have complete confidentiality. But if you post on social media, that information becomes public. Things like your physical and mental health, emotional state, and other case details should remain confidential throughout your claims process.
The Defense Might Use Your Activities to Claim You’re Not Really Hurt
Your social media posts could inadvertently draw attention to what you’re physically capable of doing after your injury. For example, if you share a picture of your friends on a ski hill, the defense will ask who took the photo. If you took the picture, they would have proof you were on a ski hill while claiming to have injuries. So anything you post may pose questions that you can’t predict the defense will present.
We understand that recovery from a car accident can be a long and challenging process. However, every victim surely deserves happy moments and needs to maintain some degree of normalcy in their lives. A family outing or a social event may be just what we need to help us recover and momentarily forget about the stress and trauma of a car accident. But unfortunately, the defense could try to use these moments against you.
Sadly, they will turn any moment of joy or celebration that you post into an opportunity to claim that you are exaggerating your pain and suffering.
Social media posts can’t tell the whole story. Maybe you did go to a party with friends and post a picture you took of your friends there. But the photo won’t show you fighting through the pain of your injury the whole time or how difficult it was for you to get dressed and out of the house. Nevertheless, the attorneys from the other side will take advantage of any opportunity they see to use your posts against you.
Just Being Too Active Online Might Hurt Your Case
Even if you don’t comment on the accident or post any pictures of your personal life, insurance companies will still do their digging. They will look at your overall use of social media and activity level. They might even argue that your active social media presence alludes to well-being. It’s not unheard of for the opposing party to claim that you must be in good condition since you can stay so active on social media. Or that you may not be experiencing as much pain or suffering as you claim. While this may sound ridiculous to the average, it does happen.
Try to Use Social Media as Little as Possible During Your Car Accident Claim
The best solution is to stay off of social media as much as possible after your car accident. While it sounds difficult, imagine how angry and helpless you will feel later if your case gets damaged by your social media use. Don’t risk compromising your chances of recovery. It could potentially cost you thousands to tens of thousands of dollars in damages that you may need to cover medical expenses and other damages.
If you have already posted something on your social media accounts that you now regret, don’t go back and delete it. The court can rule this as tampering with evidence. Instead, leave your social media accounts alone and call an experienced Denver car accident attorney right away.
Proper legal guidance is critical to helping you avoid mistakes and make your case as simple and successful as possible. That includes refraining from making social media pitfalls while your case is ongoing. Don’t let a preventable, simple mistake compromise your ability to win the compensation you deserve and need to get your life back on track.
See It Through With an Experienced Denver Personal Injury Lawyer
If you or a loved one has sustained injuries in a Colorado car accident, our attorneys can help. In addition, you may have questions about handling social media or about something you’ve already posted that could potentially compromise your case.
Contact a competent, seasoned lawyer, as this can ultimately spell the difference between the success or failure of your case. Make sure you find the right attorney who can represent you at every stage of the process so that you can focus on recovering and regaining good health.
Our skilled car accident attorneys will also work with medical experts to establish the accurate cost of your current and future medical expenses. You deserve to obtain the total and fair financial compensation owed to you if you received injuries from a car accident.
Contact us today for a free initial consultation. We will happily discuss your legal rights and fight to win you the total compensation you deserve.
