Can Social Media Posts Affect My Florida Personal Injury Case?

Most people use social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and others to document everything from meals and vacations to special occasions and family gatherings.

Even the intricacies of everyday life are shared on social media, which allows people to stay connected and involved in each other’s lives, even when they live far away.

Since social media is available on apps for nearly every phone or tablet, and even through online browsers, people spend a significant amount of time popping in and out of the platforms both posting and viewing updates — almost as second nature.

While this isn’t harmful to your day to day life, posting any updates about your personal injury case can derail your chances of success, as the other party’s insurance company or legal representative will use any updates relevant to disproving your claim against you.

At the Law Offices of Keith Bregoff, PA, our Vero Beach personal injury lawyer has tips on how to keep that from happening, so we can continue to pursue the financial recovery you deserve.

How Can My Social Media Posts Hurt My Florida Personal Injury Claim?

If you have been hurt in a Florida car, truck, motorcycle, or pedestrian accident, your physical movements are going to be limited while you seek ongoing medical care.

Keep in mind, to achieve financial success in your personal injury case, we must be able to prove that you have actually suffered damages from your accident, which can include broken bones, soft-tissue damage, whiplash, or severe traumatic brain injuries or spinal cord injuries, to name a few.

If you are an avid Facebook user and continue to use the platform to check-in at the gym, at an amusement park, or even in a restaurant, the insurance company will scour that activity for updates, comments, or images that help prove you are not as injured as you say you are.

Remember, insurance companies will do anything they can to undervalue or deny your insurance claim, so they do not have to pay for your medical care, lost wages, or long-term expenses.

That means they will search for images of you enjoying a walk in the park without your crutches or protective medical equipment or will use your “feeling much better!” updates to reduce — or completely deny — the value of your claim.

Images, text, and even emojis can be misconstrued, taken out of context, and manipulated by the insurance company or opposing counsel to unravel your potential to recover financially.

What If My Social Media Profiles Are Private? Can the Insurance Company Still See Them?

Yes. Social media privacy settings mean very little. If yours is set to “private,” it will not stop a friend or follower from checking your statuses, taking screenshots of your posts, and sharing them with the other party or their insurance company.

Alternatively, insurance company representatives are very savvy, and some may send a seemingly harmless friend or follow request, which allows them access to your entire profile. When they find something they can use to damage your case, they will capitalize on it.

Our personal injury attorney in Vero Beach, Florida asks all our clients to refrain from using social media while their case is ongoing, so there is no chance of their day-to-day lives being manipulated for the insurance company’s gain.

During a personal injury case, it is better to err on the side of caution and not post at all.

If you have been hurt in an accident, contact our experienced Indian River County and Vero Beach personal injury attorney at the Law Offices of Keith Bregoff, P.A. to discuss the details of your claim today by calling (772) 492-8967 to schedule a free consultation.