It may seem like common sense but if you are thinking or in the middle of a lawsuit, you need to be extra careful with social media. You may be asking yourself how social media can impact your personal injury case and the answers may surprise you.
Something as innocent as a friend tagging you or you posting a photo without checking the background or if the location is tagged can hurt you in a lawsuit. Lawyers jobs are to defend their clients and they will use anything at their disposal to discredit the other plaintiff. Social media is public and even if your accounts are private, if someone tags you then it may be seen when searching. I try myself to only allow myself to be tagged when I approve something or only post on my own social media what I approve, but it is easy to miss things.
Maybe a friend posts a throwback photo of you and it is assumed it is current, that could cause confusion and problems with your case even though its in the past. Or maybe you post something not realizing it could be taken out of context the wrong way. The best thing to do if you are in the middle of a personal injury lawsuit for example is stay off social media until the case is done. Also, check your privacy settings on all your accounts to see what information is public and private. Finally, talk to your lawyer to make sure you are doing everything you can and what you should not be doing as well. It would be horrible to lose your lawsuit because of a photo or comment that should not have even been included in the first place. A good lawyer can advise you on potential issues and keep you protected.
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