Posted in Legal Advice

Social Media and Lawsuits

Social media is perhaps one of the greatest technological inventions for people who love to stay connected. While it can connect grandparents with grandchildren, childhood friends, and so many others, it can also be used against people in court. If you are filing a personal injury lawsuit, you may want to consider taking a break from posting for a little while. Here’s why!

Misconstrued Photos

You know those pictures where someone is holding a giant box, acting dramatic as if it’s ultra-heavy, but it’s really empty and light? Those are the types of pictures the other party will use against you in a personal injury case. They will scour your social media accounts, looking for anything that can be similarly misconstrued to imply you aren’t as injured as you say you are. If you are constrained to a wheelchair and you superimpose your face onto a photo of a supermodel, it could be misconstrued as being you in great shape and not in need of the wheelchair.

Hobby Groups

There are lots of groups on social media that are centered on different hobbies. If you have a hobby you can’t currently participate in because of your injury, but you make comments on the social media hobby page, your comments could be taken out of context. For example, if you have an ankle injury, but you used to be an avid runner, you might be part of a running group on social media. If you make a comment such as, “I always run an extra half mile before going home,” the other party of your lawsuit could take that to mean it’s something you currently do.

Tricky Investigators

Some investigators go the extra mile to pull information out of you. If you accept a new friend request during your lawsuit, it could very well be someone trying to trick you into admitting something about your injury. They could be looking for comments to twist into something that will hurt your case. They could be trying to get you to rely on them and confide in them, though they would simply turn around and use your words against you.

Contacting a Lawyer

As you can see, there are some good reasons to stay away from social media until your personal injury case is over. If you feel your social media account has been used unjustly, or if you feel a lawyer could better represent you during your case, contact a personal injury lawyer in Salt Lake City, UT today for assistance.

Thanks to Rasmussen & Miner for their insight into personal injury claims and why to avoid social media.