If you find yourself walking down the sidewalk this winter and you slip and fall on an icy patch in front of someone’s house, you may find yourself involved in a personal injury lawsuit. If you wish to take legal action after an injury, there are a few things to do, and a few things you should avoid at all costs. For example, you should make sure to document the scene of the accident with photos and videos of the hazardous conditions. Additionally, you should seek medical attention to treat your wounds and have a record of your injuries. One of the things you should make sure to avoid is posting on social media about your accident. Read on to learn more about posting on social media after a personal injury:
As soon as you file a personal injury claim, insurance companies and defense attorneys may begin to monitor your social media accounts.
Your accounts may be monitored because a large part of a personal injury case is establishing negligence. You will need to prove that the other party’s negligence caused your accident. The defense will be looking for ways to defend their client and social media can give them a lot of opportunities. For example, if you relay the details of the accident, you may say something to indicate that you are to blame. Additionally, your photos and posts will be under heavy scrutiny. If you claim you injured your back in the snow and ice accident and then you post a photo of yourself out with friends, a defense attorney may question the legitimacy and severity of your injury.
You should make your accounts private, but understand that this doesn’t make you inaccessible.
It is a good idea to make your social media accounts private after a personal injury. Additionally, you should avoid accepting any new followers during this time, unless you know them personally. A new friend or follower request may be a member of the defense attempting to gain access to your information. While these are good precautions to take, you should still refrain from posting on social media. A defense attorney will likely be able to access your information, even if your account is set to private.
The bottom line:
Posting on social media can seriously harm your confidentiality and credibility. Ideally, you will refrain from posting on social media at all until your case has been closed. If you do post on social media, do not post about the accident or your injuries. Avoid posting any selfies, photos of your injuries, or activities in which you partake. Ask that your friends and family do not post or tag any photos of you during this time.
Contact our Firm
Our firm understands how serious criminal and personal injury cases are. We are prepared to guide you towards a favorable outcome because we believe false accusations or preventable injuries should never cause a person harm. This is why those who require experienced legal counsel in New Jersey should do themselves a favor and contact The Law Office of Andrew S. Maze today for any criminal and personal injury matters.