Take a minute to think about how often you sign in to social media platforms and what motivates you to do so. Do you pop on a few times a day to see which topics are trending and to keep up on the news? Do you log in a few times a week to see what’s going on with your friends and family? Are you on social media platforms all day for work-related reasons?
No matter how often and why you engage with social media, if you are a regular social media user, chances are that you’re going to be tempted to post about your experience if you’ve recently been involved in a motor vehicle accident. You may want to tell your story for the benefit of others’ knowledge, or you might just want to assure your loved ones that you’re okay.
It is important to resist that urge until your case has been fully resolved. If you indulge your instincts to post about your experience, you could compromise the strength of your case as the information that you post on social media until that time could be used to undermine your position.
Information can be twisted against you
Even if your privacy settings have been maximized in the interest of keeping your information contained, you need to assume that insurance companies and opposing legal counsel have access to everything you say and do on social media. You will also need to assume that even seemingly innocuous posts could be misinterpreted or twisted to fit the agenda of anyone who may owe you compensation.
If you can’t – or simply don’t want to – stay off of social media until your case is resolved, you can always seek guidance from the legal professional who is handling your case to better understand how to stay engaged on social media while preserving the strength and integrity of your case.