Social media is in our lives everywhere we turn. We see high school friends having babies, our colleagues on vacation and our friends eating dinner.
It seems as though some people document every part of their lives in pictures and posts. One area of your life where you should be careful about documenting is after a car accident. Your social media use could actually hurt your ability to recover for your injuries.
When you’re injured in a car accident, you want to give yourself every chance to recover for your injuries. There are many things you can do to hinder your ability to recover. One of those actions is posting carelessly on social media.
Pictures Say a Thousand Words
One of the worst things you can do is post pictures on social media that contradict your injury claims. If you’re injured in a car accident and your foot is broken, but you post pictures of you out dancing at a club, another attorney could use those pictures to contradict your claims of injury.
You should also refrain from posting pictures of the accident, your car, or any injuries you have. Another lawyer could use those images to show the damage wasn’t as bad as you claim.
Many people also share photos on social media of the past. Don’t do that either. There is no date stamp on social media images, therefore no one would know if the picture of you jumping into a pool is from last week or last year.
Comments About Your Accident
Another way to hurt your personal injury claim is by posting comments on social media. Many people put personal or intimate information on social media. This could include comments about a fight you had with a loved one right before the crash.
These details could easily be used to rebut your personal injury claim. Perhaps because of the fight with your loved one, you weren’t in the right mental state to be driving and maybe the accident was partially your fault. It’s best to keep personal information personal.
Don’t Think Private Means Private
Online, very few things are actually private. Just because you set a post or picture to a private setting, doesn’t guarantee no one else will be able to see it.
When you post something on social media and a friend comments or shares that post or image, their friends can see it, too. This can wreak havoc on your personal injury claim. Even though you set the post as private, that private post is quickly visible to many more people.
Recovering Damages
When you’re injured in a car accident, you need to collect damages to help you recover. The exact damages you can receive and the exact amount will vary based on the facts of the case.
Damages can include:
- Medical bills
- Lost income
- Rehabilitation costs
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
Contact your Los Angeles Personal Injury Lawyer
At Steinberg Injury Lawyers, we are ready to take your case and help you get the compensation you deserve so you can focus on getting better. We’ve helped many clients just like you and we know we can provide you the guidance and support you need to move forward with your life.
Don’t mess up your chances of a recovery by posting carelessly on social media. Contact us today for a free, no obligation evaluation of your case where we show you how we can take the stress off your shoulders so you can focus on healing.
