Why You Should Refrain From Posting About Your Personal Injury Case

Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter have changed the way that many Americans live their day-to-day lives. The average American spends five hours per day on a smartphone or device, and 35 minutes alone on Facebook, according to Sprout Social. As such, it can be exceedingly difficult for someone who has suffered a serious injury to refrain from posting or talking about his or her injuries online. After all, many people are used to posting everything about their lives from the mundane to the extraordinary online. However, staying off social media is a necessity if your goal is to reach a settlement or win a personal injury lawsuit.

Everything You Post Publicly can be Used Against You in Court

Whether your personal injury case makes it to court or is settled out of court like most are, the insurance company of the other party will use everything that you post on social media against you, and to their advantage. This includes information such as videos and photos that your friends or family post. Everything that you do from the day the accident occurred to the day your case is settled or won or lost in court is subject to analysis by insurance adjusters whose goal is to devalue your claim or prove that you were actually to blame for your own injuries, and potentially the injuries of the other party if the incident in question was a traffic collision.

How Posts and Photos Could Come Back to Haunt You

A photo of you smiling at a dinner party. A post that your friend wrote about a fun weekend trip that you took out of town. A quick blurb on twitter about a promotion that you just received. A video of you running across a beach with your dog. What do all of these things have in common? They can be used to prove that your physical injuries, your pain and suffering, and your emotional trauma are far less severe than you claim them to be. Even if the media in question is taken out of context or exaggerated by the negligent party’s insurance company, these images and words can hurt your chances of receiving fair compensation because evidence of your well-being actually devalues your claim.

An Illinois Personal Injury Lawyer is Here to Help

If you were injured by another party, whether the cause was a distracted, texting driver or a negligent doctor, the Rockford personal injury attorneys here at Brassfield & Krueger, Ltd. are here to help. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation.