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Atlanta Personal Injury Lawyer | Savannah Personal Injury Lawyer | How Social Media Can Hurt Your Georgia Personal Injury Claim

How Social Media Can Hurt Your Georgia Personal Injury Claim

Social media is an everyday part of our lives. Sites like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Myspace, and Linkedin allow us to connect with family, friends and even strangers to share our lives. What some people don't realize, however, is that social media can be used against them in a Georgia personal injury claim. Remember, the insurance company is looking for any way it can to discredit you and pay you as little money as possible for your injury claim.


Don't Write About It
Insurance companies and defense attorneys will do anything to keep from paying your claim, and frequently use social media sites to find and exploit damaging information. If you have recently been in a car accident, don't discuss it on the internet. Seemingly innocent comments can be taken out of context and used by the other side to make you look bad. It is best not to mention anything about your pending claim online.


Beware of Photos
If there are photos of you on the internet in which you appear to be uninjured, it will hurt your claim for pain and suffering relating to your accident injuries. If your lawyer is arguing that you had to miss out on fun events with family and friends due to debilitating pain from your injuries, photos of you smiling on a family trip will hurt that argument. Photos can be taken out of context and presented to a jury in a way that severely hurts your case. Do not post photos online until your claim is resolved. Ask your friends not to tag you in any pictures or mention your wreck or your injuries in comments.


Despite Your Settings, Nothing Is Completely Private
Most social networking sites allow you to determine who has access to your profile. However, having strict privacy settings does not ensure that the content you post is truly private. It's easy to forget that once something is online, it's there forever. Changing your privacy settings today will not prevent a defense attorney from finding something you posted yesterday. Even if your social media pages are blocked to everyone but your friends, this doesn't prevent people from misrepresenting themselves as someone you may know to gain access to your page.


How Do I Protect My Claim?
The best option is to abstain from any and all social media and internet postings until your claim is resolved. However, if you can't bear to do this, be extremely careful with the way you present yourself online. Do not mention your accident, injuries, or anything else about your claim. Don't post photos of yourself and ask your friends not to tag you in their photos until your claim is resolved. Never give the insurance company a reason to deny your claim.

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