Posting on social media may seem harmless to you, but these posts can be used against you and your personal injury claim. It is important to be mindful of your online presence and social media activity. Your social media posts can impact your personal injury case in many ways, including:
Contradicting Your Injuries
Posting on social media may contradict what injuries you are claiming in your case. For example, if you claim to have a broken leg and then post a photo of you skiing, showing your leg is not broken and you are physically able to perform the activity, this could ruin your case and credibility. Another example is if you are claiming pain and suffering but are posting photos of you travelling or on vacation, this could be used to prove your pain is not as severe as you claim.
Admission of Guilt
Any statements or comments that may imply guilt or responsibility for the accident or injury in a social media post or reply. Even a seemingly innocent apology or expression of regret could be interpreted as an admission of fault.
Location Check-ins
Location check-ins can also damage your personal injury case. If you claim that your injuries have impacted your life, but you are checking in at your local gym every day on Facebook, this may be used as evidence to show your injuries are not as severe as you claim them to be.
Damage to Credibility
Inconsistencies between your claim and your social media activity can damage your credibility and potentially ruin the narrative of your case.
Although you may have privacy settings on your social media accounts, it is important to remember that nothing is entirely private and everything you post can be found and used against you in your case.