4 Things Not to Post During A Personal Injury Case

It is estimated that 79%of people in the U.S. use some form of social media. If it's not Facebook, it's Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Periscope, Vimeo, or some other platform. Some use this to simply stay up to date with family and friends, while others use it to post every aspect of their daily lives.

Unfortunately, there are times that what you post could be used against you, and one of those times is when you are involved in a personal injury lawsuit. Here are four things that should never be posted on social media while you are involved in a personal injury case.

When something traumatic happens, most people want to share it with family or friends right after the incident. Pictures or videos posted on social media can ruin your chances of you winning your personal injury lawsuit. There is truth to the old saying that a picture is worth a thousand words.

Pictures may show elements of your case that contradict your testimony. These pictures can be used by opposing counsel and even expert witnesses to misconstrue what you and your attorney are trying to prove to the court.

Even pictures that are seemingly innocent, for example, pictures pertaining to your recovery, can be taken out of context. Reserve any pictures, videos, or evidence you have for use by your attorney only. If your attorneys feel that it is relevant to your case, they will share it in court and not on social media.

You may be tempted to share what the insurance company is offering you to settle your case, but this is one of the last things you want to do. While your case may ultimately settle outside of court, sharing what the offers are prior to a settlement agreement being reached could nullify the agreement.

Reaching your settlement is about much more than a sum of money. Your settlement agreement will include what claims you are releasing, the parties covered by the release and the settlement, the contingencies contained within and more.

Just because the amount of money being offered appears to be an amount you are willing to accept, your attorneys will need to review the settlement documents to ensure the accuracy of the rest of the information. Always remember that the agreement is not finalized until it is agreed upon and signed off by both parties.

Once you reach a settlement out of court, or receive a judgment in court, you may be asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement. This means that you are signing a binding contract instructing that the amount and terms of your settlement not be disclosed or discussed.

If you breach this agreement by sharing the information on social media, you can face some pretty severe consequences. You may incur penalties included in the agreement, or you may find yourself the subject of a costly lawsuit.

Many times when you are involved in an accident, you do not always remember all of the details surrounding the event. While you may wonder to yourself if you were partially responsible for what took place, it is not something you want to post on social media.

To ensure that you do not post anything on social media that may harm your case, consider suspending your accounts during the time your case is active. If you do continue to communicate on social media, ensure that your settings are set to the highest level of privacy and give thought to anything you post.

At Wegner C. Dennis & Associateswe will be glad to help you decide what you should and should not share on social media while we help you with your personal injury case. Give us a call today so we can get started.