3 Reasons To Avoid Social Media During Litigation

Advice from a Litigation Lawyer

During this trying year, your social media account may have become your only lifeline to friends and family. Even if it was not, you consider it an essential part of keeping up with those you care about from across the country. Social media platforms are now an integral part of life. With most people having at least one account, posting flashes of life is part of the norm.

However, what happens when you find yourself involved in a personal injury court case? As a litigation lawyer in Washington D.C. from a firm like Brown Kiely, LLP can explain, social media during any litigation should be used sparingly, if at all. Discover three reasons why it is a good idea to remove yourself from the online world during the course of your lawsuit.

1. Everything You Post Is Fair Game

Privacy is a right afforded under the law. It disallows police intrusion into your home and life to gather evidence against you. The same right holds in a civil court case. The other side cannot force you to disclose insight into your life. However, when you post things on social media, all bets are off. Anything you put online in a public forum may be used against you, and there is no legal action you can take to stop it.

2. Your Pics and Posts Are Discoverable

Pictures are some of the most damaging evidence in a personal injury case. The defense will often have an investigator follow you to and from medical appointments to catch you engaging in physical activity that your condition supposedly limits. For instance, stopping at the grocery store may turn into evidence in court showing that you can lift three or four bags at once. Any picture you post online during your case works in very much the same fashion.

3. Deleting Content Is a Red Flag

Your attorney may advise you to stop posting on social media from the time you file your lawsuit. This does not mean you should necessarily go back and delete prior content. First, it may be too late as the defense most likely has already done a sweep of your content. Second, deleting anything makes you look like you are attempting to hide something.

Since the litigation centers around your injury and how it affects your life, the defense will try and prove you are exaggerating things. Your personal injury lawyer will advocate for you and help paint the real picture of how the incident changed your life. Contact someone in your area to get started on recovering.