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5 Social Media Mistakes To Avoid After an Accident

5 Social Media Mistakes To Avoid After an Accident

Almost everyone with the Internet enjoys some platform of multimedia, and several social media websites provide countless opportunities to share and connect with one another. But for all the benefits that social media offers, there are plenty of situations where it is unwise to share your thoughts and feelings so publicly. Car accidents are a prime example of how small social media mistakes can lead to major problems down the road.

Injury claims can be killed before they even start — based on a single crucial post. Here are five social media mistakes to avoid after being involved in a car accident:

1. Avoid Giving Live Coverage of Your Accident

Someone else may post what they hear on Facebook or give a play-by-play on Twitter, but it should not be the person in the accident. A long detailed post about the accident, especially from the victim, is not necessary. If you are in an accident and get hurt, your rendition of events posted on social media could easily be brought up in court. Anything you post on any social media platform is fair game for the respondent’s lawyers to comb through.

2. Privacy Settings Do Not Guarantee Privacy

A lot of people think if they set something to private that they can write or post anything they want to. Not only could this information fall into the wrong hands, but photos can be shared and downloaded too. Even if you’ve set your post to be visible to your friends and family, it’s important to keep in mind that anyone viewing your post could share it with others. Even if they have the best of intentions, this could cause irreparable damage to your case.

3. Even Deleted Posts Can Be Accessed Again

As more websites use cookies that track your visits and collect bits of data about your online activities, you might want to consider what you post and delete. You can post something damaging to your case, delete it, and still risk it popping up in court. A computer engineer can easily find social media posts that were deleted, and you do not know who is watching your activity for a slip, especially if it is a big case. You may tweet and delete case details quickly, but there could be someone on the other side putting your posts in an archive link or screen snipping your posts before they go down just to use them as evidence.

4. Avoid Ranting Online

Being hurt in an accident may elicit feelings of anger, but blogging about it on social media is the wrong thing to do. In these situations, venting will likely result in divulging case details. If you have to vent, vent to a friend, family member or counselor in person. If you were in a car accident and have an ongoing case concerning an injury, posting pictures of your injury can be very damaging to your case. For example, keep photos of sports, post-workout pics and anything depicting physical activity off Instagram and other social media sites. While you have an ongoing case, and if you absolutely have to participate in social media with pictures, stick to posting cute pet photos, food pics, and memes.

5. Seeking Legal Advice From Friends and Family

While plenty of legal websites offer basic information that is trustworthy, it’s best to avoid turning to any online source for advanced legal counsel — even if you’re turning to friends or family members. Quite simply, uninformed legal advice can lead to major problems that could jeopardize your case.

We believe staying off social media for awhile is probably the best course of action, but it is up to you, the victim, to show maturity and discretion. If you have been in an accident, the best thing you can do is find a lawyer like a personal injury lawyer Milwaukee WI trusts with a good reputation.

Hickey & Turim SCThanks to our friends and contributors from Hickey & Turim SC for their insight into accident and personal injury cases.