Personal injury cases can be quite contentious, with defense lawyers working to undermine the credibility of the person dealing with an injury. Personal injury lawyers are quickly realizing just how important social media is when working on a case, and popular legal advice includes ensuring your social media activities are private, and do not paint a picture of you that contradicts what your injury case sets out.
For example, if you are working with an Arizona personal injury lawyer to prove a claim that you have injured your back at work and are in too much pain to continue your regular activities, a public Facebook feed full of photos of you involved in sports games would show otherwise.
When you are getting legal advice from a personal injury lawyer, be sure to ask about social media and how it could impact your case. Your lawyer will likely have some suggestions for you.
In some court cases, judges are being asked to consider how true social media really is. If a client appears happy and pain-free in a photo on social media, argue some lawyers, it is because they are trying to create the appearance of a life that is better than it truly is. This means that social media may not really be an accurate depiction of an injured person’s ability to function, but again, the photos, posts, and other media found online can still negatively impact your case.
Even if your social media posts are private, you could be ordered to hand them over if there appears to be a good reason to do so. If you are asked to share your social media as part of your case, make sure you get legal advice from a qualified personal injury lawyer with experience in the field.
Generally speaking, it is best not to post anything that is contrary to what you have set out in your claim, and better yet, you may wish to take a break from all social media until your case has been worked out completely. Either way, talk to your Arizona personal injury lawyer about how you should handle social media during a personal injury claim, and know what type of effect it can have on the results of your injury or disability claim.
