When the word ‘social media’ was added to the Merriam-Webster dictionary in 2011, it came as no surprise. By then the word had become a part of regular language usage and was certainly an integral part of our lives. Facebook claims that it has a user base of 18.2 million people in Canada, as on 2016. Around 8.5 million Canadians are active on Instagram and about 7.4 million have accounts on Twitter. People proactively use social media platforms to express all kinds of emotions, events, invitations, and facts. While it is perfectly fine to be vocal about your life on social media, an attorney in Edmonton will advise you against doing so after filing a personal injury claim. Yes, your social media posts can be detrimental to your personal injury claim case. Let’s take a look as to how this can happen.
How your Posts can be Used Against you
Most people file for a personal injury claim when they suffer from a traumatic brain injury, broken bones, emotional trauma or any other kind of serious injury. However, if you end up posting a photo of you hiking with your friends when you have filed a claim for limited mobility and chronic pain, the defense lawyer can make use of your post to refute your claims in court. In certain cases, they may even use your posts out of context and frame you for fraud or a false claim.
Some people file for claims stating that they have been going through emotional distress after the accident. An innocent selfie posted on your personal page can go against your claim, giving the defense lawyer a chance to falsify your case. It is, therefore, best to avoid posting anything at all on social media till you get your compensation. And also, tell your friends and family to not tag you in any post.
How Venting About the Plaintiff can Affect you
At times when people suffer due to someone else’s folly, they tend to vent about that person on their social media pages. No doubt, venting can be relieving but not on your Facebook or Twitter account. Nasty posts about the plaintiff can give the defendant a chance to state that you may not be as hurt as you claim, but are simply taking revenge on the other party by filing for a personal injury claim. Hence, it is better to take the high road and avoid talking about the at-fault party on your social media pages.
How Posts About your Injuries can Affect you
During the proceedings of a personal injury lawsuit, a lot of professionals are involved. Some of them are doctors, medical personnel, insurance adjusters, and other subject experts. These professionals play a crucial role in determining the outcome of the case.
When you post pictures of your injuries, it actually helps the defense lawyer to understand your case better. But if your posts fail to align with your claims, then the opposing lawyer can use it against you.
How your Attorney in Edmonton can Help you
So, the moral of the story is that you need to be very careful about your social media posts after filing a personal injury claim. No matter how good your privacy settings are, once uploaded, all information on your account is public. Especially defense lawyers have smart ways to extract all kinds of evidence. Hence, it is best to seek advice from an attorney in Edmonton and be sensible with your social media image. If you wish to know more about this topic, then connect with our legal experts on personal injury claims.