Social media is part of our everyday lives. We use Facebook to stay up-to-date with family and friends we don’t see often. It’s easy to post an update or a photo once so that everyone you are connected with hears what is up with you.
But what do you post when you are involved in a personal injury lawsuit?
When you need a personal injury lawyer in the Kansas City area, contact us for a free, no-obligation evaluation of your case.
In today’s world, we reach out to friends, family and co-workers through Facebook, Twitter and other social media as part of our normal way to communicate. We freely discuss our lives online. We post photos of major events in our lives. It is just something we do. We rarely consider that there might be others lurking out there who may use what we say against us.
But that is reality. Gathering evidence from social media sites and other internet sources has become routine in law practices. Investigators may Google you. They may find your Facebook account and friend you or follow you on Twitter. Even if you think you have your social media locked up tight, using the highest privacy settings possible, there are still ways to find your social media content. For instance, someone might friend or follow your family or friends, or they could possibly get a court order to access your private social media content.
We leave cyber crumbs when we post online that others may follow. Facebook is great for keeping in touch with family and friends; however, it can be a double-edged sword when you are involved in a personal injury case.
72% of online adults use Facebook. There are 1.55 BILLION monthly active Facebook users. Share on XIf you have been injured and are considering or are currently involved in a personal injury lawsuit, the best practice is to handle all communications through an attorney.
That means, when it comes to social media, you should stay silent. If anyone asks about your injuries or your accident, you should say nothing. If you feel you must respond, thank them for asking and tell them you cannot make any comments. You especially do not want to say you are feeling fine, when you are not, talk about any medical procedures you may be having or any other aspect of your case.
You also need to ask family and friends not to say anything or make comments about your situation on social media channels. Even saying the simplest thing can potentially be misconstrued or twisted to mean something different.
In personal injury cases, best practice is to refrain from using social media. Share on XIf you would like to receive news and blog updates on a regular basis, sign up to receive our email newsletter. Your email address will only be used to send you our newsletter and respond to inquiries.
Past results afford no guarantee of future results and each case is different and is judged on its own merits. The choice of a lawyer is an important decision and should not be based solely upon advertisements.
