Social media is an important part of our lives now that everything is connected online. The steady online presence, however, can be a double-edged sword for those involved in personal injury cases, such as those looking for the advice of a personal injury lawyer iowa.
A careless post can sometimes add proof to a claim, but it can also make it much weaker or even stop it in its tracks. Knowing this effect and controlling what you do online can be very important for a good legal result.
How your social media posts can undermine your case.
A lot of personal information can be found on social media sites. Both the plaintiff’s and defendant’s lawyers look at these online sites all the time to gather proof. Here is how posts that seem harmless can turn against you:
1. Putting your claims to the test.
Imagine saying you have crippling injuries that make it hard for you to move around, but then your social media shows you on a weekend walk. The defense can use photos or videos of activities that do not match how bad your injury is to make your claims look like they are not true, which could lower or even eliminate your pay.
2. Admitting fault.
While social media is a place for casual conversations, comments made without thinking can be taken the wrong way and seen as admitting fault.
For example, a post that says, “I should have been more careful” after an accident could be taken to mean that you were partly to blame for what happened. Remember that in court, even things that seem harmless can be taken out of their proper context.
3. Damaging credibility.
Your overall conduct online can affect how the jury sees you, not just the things you say. Posts that show you acting carelessly or being negative could make people wonder about your character and whether they can trust you.
For example, some people consider skydiving to be a dangerous activity, so a picture of you doing something like that can be harmful. Even though it does not seem to have anything to do with your injury claims, it could subtly raise doubts about their validity.
These are just a few examples of the many problems that could happen. The posts of family and friends can also be harmful. Their words about your symptoms or how much money you think you deserve could be used against you.
Situations when social media can help your case.
Social media can help with personal injury cases by keeping track of accidents and showing how they affect people’s lives. After an accident, videos and photographs shared can be used as proof of the injury, especially for people whose injuries have gotten better.
Posts that show how the accident has changed your daily life can also help your pain and suffering claim. However, the pros and cons of using social media as proof should be carefully thought through, and before sharing anything online about the case, a lawyer should be contacted.
Tips for managing your online presence after an accident.
During a personal injury case, keep your online life safe by doing these things:
- Change the protection settings on all of your social media sites so that only close family and friends can see them.
- Be careful what you post about your accident, injuries, or court case. Do not talk about things like pain, treatment, or financial plans.
- Look back at old posts and get rid of anything that might be seen as inconsistent or bad for your image.
- Get legal help to understand what is going on online and come up with ways to make it less of a problem for your case.
- You might want to take a short break. It might be safer to log out of social media for now until your case is over.
To keep the damage from social media to a minimum in personal injury cases, be careful and watch out online, especially when civil rights are at stake.
