How Social Media Affects Personal Injury Case?
A lot is at stake when you are dealing with a personal injury case. You are required to prove all the damages that you have claimed such as lost wages, medical expenses, damage to your vehicle(in case of a vehicle accident), emotional stress, pain, and suffering. If you are involved in such a case, there’s always a chance that the defendant will search information about you on social media to use it against you in a case. On the other hand, your social media content could also prove to be beneficial in proving your claims in the court. Social media content is hence crucial to your case.
Here’s what you need to know about social media content and how it affects your case:
Social Media Content as Evidence
In today’s world, at least 74% adults use social networking sites and the content posted on these sites has gained a lot of importance and relevance in personal injury claims. Your social media tweets, posts, direct messages, and photographs could be critical information when you are trying to prove the physical and emotional consequences of the accident. It is also important to note that this information could also be used by the defendants against you.
Social media content serves as admissible evidence that can be used in the court of law if it is relevant and can be authenticated. This is mainly because the content you post on your social media page to support your claims about the extent of the physical and mental injury. It can either demonstrate or counter your claims about the emotional distress caused by the accident. For example, if you state in your case that the accident caused a lot of anxiety and depression, and your social media posts and statuses reflect happiness, your claims can be proved false.
Never Ever Destroy Content
In Tulsa, personal injury lawyers could help you review your social media content and discuss how you should use social media until the case is settled. It is recommended that you do not destroy any electronic evidence or delete any online content. While the case proceeds in court, if you are found to have deleted any relevant online content, it can be used against you and you may be penalized to do so. However, you can make your posts and content more visible to support your case and enable more privacy and security settings to limit what you wish to make available for others to see.
Security Settings
It is always recommended to heighten the security of your social media accounts by using strong passwords. Make your personal accounts viewable by only a few friends and family. Check your privacy settings and make sure that they are set such that there is less for everyone in general to see. It would be a good idea to not use social media very actively for some time. However, if you decide to continue using social media, make sure that you do not discuss the case or anything that is relevant to it.
In general, it is advisable that you do not confirm any unknown friends or people you do not know. Do not post anything about the lawsuit or trigger any discussions on your social media page. Carefully examine your profile and the posts that you have been tagged in. Before you post any photo or a status update, think about its implications on your case.
Above all, be aware that your social media posts are most likely to be subject to scrutiny and that you as a claimant is expected to be 100% truthful while pursuing a claim. If you are looking for assistance from personal injury attorney in Oklahoma, you can discuss your situation with our attorneys and get accurate advice on how to proceed.