Many people use social media to talk about things going on in their lives, including information about a recent accident. However, in a personal injury claim, you run the risk of anything you post online being used against you. It is important to understand how social media can affect your claim and ways that you can protect your claim.
The experienced Phoenix personal injury attorneys at Phillips Law Group can provide you with advice and guidelines regarding social media use while you have a pending personal injury claim. We can also help answer any additional questions you may have during a free, no obligation case consultation.
Many people use social media to connect with others across the country and the world. However, statements made on these platforms can often be used in courts. Most comments, posts and other submissions on these sites are considered public, even if you have taken steps to adjust your privacy settings.
There are many ways that people can gain access to your social media information, including pretending to be someone in order to gain access to your profile or to use information they get from your friend’s page. Insurance adjusters may be able to request information about your social media profiles in discovery and gain access to it.
Past content may still be visible from times before you adjusted your privacy settings. Although you may feel that you have a right to share with whom you want, there may be legal ways around your privacy settings.
The insurance adjuster’s job is to show that you were responsible for the accident, to convince the jury that you are not as badly hurt as you claim or that you are making up your injuries. Any evidence that is on social media that supports any of these theories may be used against you.
Insurance adjusters and attorneys representing the at-fault party’s insurer will look for the following posted information:
The best rule for social media use when you have a pending legal proceeding is not to use it at all. However, many people are hesitant about taking this action as they rely heavily on social media to stay in touch with people. Some other ways that you can protect your claim on social media are:
If you were injured in an accident, contact the personal injury attorneys at Phillips Law Group for legal assistance. We can help you throughout the entire claims process. We can provide you with guidelines regarding your social media use and other tips to protect your rights while your case is pending.
If you decide to move forward, our firm works on a contingency fee basis, so you are only charged legal fees if we help you recover fair compensation for your claim.
Get started today by calling 1-800-706-3000 for your free case evaluation.