Topics in Personal Injury Lawsuits: Don’t let social media cost you big

In today’s interconnected world, posting life events, thoughts and reaction on social media is the norm. However, those posts can cost you and your family thousands of dollars if you are involved in a personal injury case. What many individuals do not realize when pursuing a personal injury case is that their social media, including Facebook, tik tok, Instagram and or even LinkedIn can be used against them. Social Media posts can be taken out of context and used by the opposing lawyers to try to minimize a plaintiff’s injuries or limitations, thereby decreasing the value of the case.

For example, Plaintiff John Doe was injured in a car crash. He has sued the owners and drivers of the other vehicles, claiming a severe and permanent injury to his knee, which hit the dashboard upon impact. He further claims that due to his knee injury, he has pain and is limited in his physical activities. However, the lawyers for the other drivers find a photo of John on Facebook, where he appears to be on the dance floor at a wedding.

They argue that John is faking his knee injury; how else could he be dancing all night long at a wedding?! John and his lawyers are now faced with an uphill battle of proving that in reality that photo was taken out of context: maybe it is an old photo from years before the accident, or maybe he was not dancing but stood up for just a moment to approach the bride on the dance floor and wish her well.

Here is a list of things to do when pursuing a personal injury case to protect against the pitfalls of social media posts.

• Set your social media to private or friends only, while you’re pursuing your case
• Never post about your personal injury case, including comments or pictures related to the case.
• Discuss with family not to post certain things about you or your injuries on social media.
• Consider limiting social media posts in general until the injury case is over in order to prevent any chance a social media post can be used against you in court.

With the constantly changing personal injury lawsuit landscape, it is important for those pursuing a personal injury case to have experienced and knowledgeable lawyers on their side. Contact Greenberg Law P.C. today and start getting the representation you need to get the money you deserve.