Personal injury attorneys are skilled at finding incriminating and destructive evidence on social media. It is always important to remember that your social media accounts are up for public consumption. Even if you think you are safeguarding yourself by making your posts private, any family or friend can take a screenshot of your post or tweet and then send it to someone else. Once you post content to social media, you lose control of that content. Facebook posts, Instagram comments, and Twitter tweets can negatively affect your personal injury claim.

Negative Social Media Posts

Your personal injury case is a serious legal proceeding, deserving of respect. The gravity of taking a case to court to obtain money from someone else regarding your injuries is not a light undertaking. If you are posting lighthearted comments or anything about the personal injury case, or the other people, attorneys, or judge involved on social media, it may be used as evidence against you in court. These posts, tweets, comments, and messages are permanent and can be preserved forever as a screenshot. Make sure to not comment about your personal injury case at all on social media, until at least after the case is over.

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

We all know that social media does not always display the truth. Images can be manipulated to present a reality that is far from actual circumstances. However, with that said, the truth is that anything you post on social media can be found by the other side’s attorney and used against you. If you are claiming damages for a serious injury, yet there are pictures of you with friends dancing or racing a motorbike, the true nature and extent of your injuries — as well as your credibility as a plaintiff — will be brought into question.

Even if what you put on social media is benign, images can be taken out of context, and then used against you with a devastating impact on your case. Take your social media very seriously during the entire time that your claim is pending and avoid posting anything that could weaken your position.

To Delete or Not to Delete?

Perhaps you made a mistake and posted something you should not have posted. Simply deleting a post or comment that may not reflect well on your personal injury case may seem like a logical solution but doing so may cause you even more trouble. Before you delete anything, discuss the matter with your lawyer. Depending on the content, deleting the post or comment could constitute suppressing evidence. Rather than facing potential penalties, it is best to get advice from an expert.

Contact an Experienced Personal Injury Attorney

Always assume that everything you put on social media will be seen by the other side, and always avoid any comments or pictures that could negatively affect your personal injury case. For more information or to get advice about your injury claim, contact the experienced Orange County personal injury attorneys at Easton & Easton at 800-461-8259 or online today.