The Ways that Posting Online Can Jeopardize Your Financial Recovery
Though many people don’t realize it, the impact of social media on personal injury cases can be devastating, significantly minimizing or even ruining your claim. It can take a variety of forms, from pictures posted on Instagram or Facebook to comments made on Twitter, LinkedIn, TikTok, Pinterest or other social media sites. But pretty much anything you post online can be used as evidence against you at trial. To protect your right to full and fair compensation for all your losses, you need to be extremely careful about how you use social media.
The Widespread Use of Social Media
For many of us, social media has become a way of life. A study published by the University of Maine found that nearly 60% of all people in the world have some presence on social media. The report also found approximately 400,000 new users on social media every day.
How Can You Minimize the Impact of Social Media on a Personal Injury Case?
There are a number of things you can do to ensure that you don’t put your future in jeopardy with a picture or post on social media:
- Be willing to stay off social media until your case is resolved—This is the best option, but it may not be practical. For many of us, social media is our connection to the world. If you can’t pull the plug on your social media participation, try limiting yourself to a specific amount of time each day.
- Thing before you post—It’s really best if you avoid making any comments about your pending lawsuit. Often, an innocent comment can be misconstrued. In addition, the fewer pictures you post, particularly of yourself, the less risk you’ll have that those pictures will appear in court as evidence that your injuries are not that severe.
- Confirm your privacy settings—The fewer people who see your posts, the less risk you’ll have that the wrong person will come across them. Most social media outlets allow you to keep your postings private, where they will only be viewed by people with permission or access. That’s not guarantee, though, that your posts will remain private. You should still be extremely careful about what you put on any social media site.
- Be certain you know anyone who asks to be a friend—It could be a wolf in sheep’s clothing, someone looking for information about your claim
Let Us Help You Pursue Full and Fair Compensation after a Personal Injury
At the Law Office of Michael R. De La Paz, we know how to protect your rights when you have been hurt because of someone else’s negligence or carelessness. We can also help ensure that you don’t compromise your rights with any activity on social media platforms. We take personal injury cases across the country and throughout Texas, including clients from the Austin, San Antonio, Harlingen and Houston metro areas. Arrange a free consultation today to evaluate your potential case.
Handling Accident Cases Nationwide, Including, But Not Limited to Texas, Florida, New Mexico, Illinois and Oklahoma
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