Can facebook damage your personal injury case? Nearly all American adults are on Facebook, Twitter and other forms of social media for keeping in touch and sharing who we are. If you are involved in a lawsuit or injury claim, just know that the insurance company and their lawyers may be looking you up. You should have nothing to hide, but sometimes even innocent sounding posts, cartoons, or activities can be turned against you. For instance, immediately after an accident you might feel ok, post about it, and announce to the world that fortunately, you are doing fine. Then the next day you wake up with a sore neck. The initial post could be used to make it look like you are faking injuries, even if that is far from the truth. Another example is those memes that we have all seen about needing a million dollars, drinking wine, etc. You need to be truthful at all times and never over-exaggerate your condition. This is a matter of integrity and honesty, which is critical to your case (and your life, in my opinion). If you are claiming that you could hardly walk after the accident, you had better not be posting on social media about training for a race or water-skiing on Lake Michigan.
Privacy Settings does not mean that in the course of litigation, your posts can’t be pulled. Just because they aren’t public does not mean that the same rules will apply in an Illinois court. Worse yet is if you are deleting things off of social media just so that you don’t look bad as part of your injury claim.
If you have been hurt in an accident and would like to know more about what you should and should not be doing right now, feel free to call us for a no obligation call with the attorney at 630 250-8813