Five Biggest Social Media Mistakes Personal Injury Clients Make!
Posted By Darrigo & Diaz
Posted by Darrigo & Diaz
Today, social media is just a part of everyday life. We wake up and check various channels for the latest news, local updates, and personal content from our friends, family, and work colleagues. Throughout the day, we monitor trending topics and post our own thoughts and photos. At the end of the night, we often lay in bed and mindlessly scroll through social media platforms waiting for sleep to come.
Social media connects us in ways we never imagined. However, being constantly plugged into this social network can actually be dangerous for anyone who is involved in a personal injury law suit.
Car accident victims have the right to seek compensation from the at-fault driver’s insurance company. The at-fault driver’s insurance company has the right to investigate the legitimacy of your claims, which includes monitoring all of your social media profiles.
Contrary to popular belief, everything on social media is regarded as “public content.” Even if your profile is private, your content is not viewed as private. Therefore, if you are currently involved in a personal injury lawsuit, be particularly mindful of what you post to your social media channels.
Here are five social media tips that we share with our personal injury clients:
- Set your profile to private
As we said earlier, a “private” account does not mean your profile content will be considered private. However, setting your account to “private” will make it more difficult for private investigators to access your profiles.
- Don’t talk about your case
Everything you post on social media can be used against you. Therefore, don’t mention your case at all. This includes posts about lawyer meetings, doctor’s appointments, and case frustrations. Even comments with good intentions can be construed in negative ways by the other insurance company.
- Don’t post about your injuries or treatment
Avoid posting any pictures of your injuries or road to recovery. Injury updates can be taken out of context to suggest you are actually doing much better than indicated.
- Don’t post anything related to travel or physical activity
This is extremely important: if you are involved in a personal injury law suit, where you are seeking compensation for a physical injury, you should not make it publicly known that you are engaging in physical activities, including leisure and travel.
For example, if you injured your back in a car accident and are seeking compensation for your pain and suffering, don’t post photos of your recent trip to Disney World. Even if you are still experiencing chronic pain, these photos could be used by the other insurance company to show that your injuries are not that bad, and hence deserving of less money.
- Educate family members about your current situation
Again, everything on social media can be used against you. If a family member posts a photo of you engaged in physical activity, such as playing golf, that image may be located and used by the other insurance company to show that your pain and suffering is minimal.
The best way to make sure your social media accounts do not jeopardize your personal injury claim is to not post anything at all. We highly recommend going “silent” for the duration of your lawsuit. One careless post can have major unintended consequences.
Your Personal Injury Attorney Can Help Protect Your Personal Injury Claim
As an experienced personal injury attorney in Tampa, Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer Nadine Diaz and her team of top-rated injury lawyers have been helping clients minimize the impact of social media on their personal injury claims for years. Indeed, speaking with an attorney immediately after your accident is the best way to learn what you should (and shouldn’t) do to maximize the financial award you may be entitled.
Don’t let your social media feed derail your financial recovery process. Be smart about your social postings and get better results today.
Call 813-774-3341 today to schedule a free case evaluation with our highly-experienced team.