Are Social Media Posts Inadmissible in Your Personal Injury Case?
Whether or not what your post is true, your social media activity may impact your personal injury case. It’s important to know the facts before you destroy your chances of getting a fair settlement.
If you are currently involved with a personal injury lawsuit, you may want to stay away from social media websites. Even if what you are saying is truthful, your social media posts, which are admissible, may impact your lawsuit negatively. Just think about your most likely response to a loved one’s concern over your well-being. While you may tell friends and co-workers that you are in a lot of pain, how likely are you to give that type of response to your mom or dad? Isn’t it possible that you may simply respond that you are fine without going into the details of your injury? After all, you may not want your parents to worry about you or your health. Unfortunately, once the defense gains access to your comment that you are fine, your lawsuit may well have taken a turn for the worse.
Can You Expect Privacy Regarding Your Social Media Account?
If you believe you can keep your social media posts private, you certainly aren’t alone. Unfortunately, you are incorrect. Don’t allow privacy settings to lull you into a false sense of safety. Even if your posts are limited to just a few individuals, investigators have ways of discovering just what you’ve been up to since the injury occurred. Today’s courts do not declare posted comments and photos as inadmissible in court. Judges request usernames and passwords once they decide that such posts are relevant to the personal injury case in question. If this happens, you have no recourse but to turn them over to the judge.
Be Safe – Stop Using Social Media
While the COVID-19 pandemic continues to circle the globe, more and more people are turning to social media for a break from the serious reality surrounding a natural pandemic. It only makes sense to want to open up the lines of communication with friends and family, particularly when a mandated quarantine has forced so many people out of work. Whether you are looking to reconnect or simply want to share your latest photos, you may want to stop using social media until your personal injury case has been settled. Of course, no one wants you to tell any mistruths in your posts, but the risk still exists that an innocent comment may get you into trouble.
We Are Here for You
The admissibility of comments and photos is clear when it comes to social media accounts and personal injury cases. Your posts are fully admissible in court despite what you may think. Having privacy settings and limiting the number of recipients for each of your posts is not enough to keep the defendant from gaining access to your comments and photos. If you have questions about filing a case around your personal injury, please contact Crandall & Katt, Attorneys at Law, today for a no-strings-attached consultation. We take our responsibilities seriously and are here to answer your questions and guide you through the legal process of filing a personal injury lawsuit.