No doubt you have heard stories about people whose social media posts came back to hurt them. For example, maybe a friend of yours works in hiring and routinely does not call in people for interviews if their social media profiles show them regularly partying or using drugs.
Social media can also be harmful if you were in a car accident — even if the accident is entirely the other driver’s fault. Here are some examples.
You misremember or misstate what happened
Say that you post an account of the accident on social media. It gives your perspective of what happened and assigns blame. You might even blame yourself. The thing is, no one person can fully know early on (or ever) what happened and why. As an example, you might think that you are at fault but do not realize the other driver was legally intoxicated or not even licensed. The reverse situation can apply, too; you might have had a few beers, maybe were over the limit, but were driving fine when you were rear-ended. It could even be that the other driver was extremely drunk while you were mildly intoxicated.
Saying anything about the accident on social media, no matter how major or minor it is, could hurt you later. It is best to just keep quiet and let attorneys, investigators and authorities do their jobs.
Good intentions could lead to bad outcomes
It is natural to want to reassure people that you are fine. That you were in an accident but you should be okay. The last thing many people want is for their loved ones to worry about them. However, these good intentions could weaken a personal injury case. Say that you are claiming in court that you have a severe back injury, but here is a social media post saying, “I’m okay! The pain isn’t bad, and I get around fine.”
Being hit by another car can lead to some of the most stressful times of your life. An attorney should be able to guide you through the process.
