If you were injured in a personal injury accident, you may be tempted to take to social media to update your loved ones. Unfortunately, there are consequences to doing so, as this may negatively impact your future personal injury claim. If you are considering taking legal action, continue reading to learn why to avoid social media altogether after your accident and how an experienced Ontario personal injury lawyer of Merricks Law Group can consistently keep your best interest in mind.
Why should I avoid social media during my personal injury claim process?
Put simply, you should refrain from posting photos of yourself or any activities you partake in after your accident on social media. To take this a step further, you should also ask your family and friends to avoid posting photos of you online, as well, until your claim is resolved.
The reasoning for this is that, although you may not intend to, you do not want to give the defense lawyer anything that can be used against you in the proceedings. For example, if you post that you are “doing well” after your accident, the defense lawyer may take your word as fact, even if you are not referencing your physical well-being. If you post yourself doing an activity, the defense lawyer may argue that you are exaggerating your pain to receive financial compensation. And lastly, if you post the details of your accident, you may accidentally admit fault. Or, you may risk the loss of confidentiality if you post a piece of information that should have remained between you and your lawyer.
Should I avoid social media even if my account is private?
Firstly, if they are not already, you should make your social media accounts private during your lawsuit. You should also refrain from adding any new friends or followers. However, making your accounts private will not completely protect you during your lawsuit. That is, the defense lawyer will still be able to access your posts. Notably, this access also includes your deleted posts, private messages, and any other personal information you have on your accounts.
Nevertheless, staying off of social media until your case is settled will give the defense lawyer zero access to any information following the incident. This will only make your case stronger. If you require any additional guidance, do not hesitate in retaining the services of one of the skilled Toronto personal injury lawyers at your earliest convenience.
Contact Our Experienced Toronto Personal Injury Firm
If you have been injured in an accident due to no fault of your own, contact a Toronto Personal Injury Lawyer at Merricks Law Group today.
