The short answer to this question is “Yes.”
For many people, it’s natural to update social media whenever they have a life update for those who care about them. It’s a quick way to let the people in one’s life know when something, good or bad, has happened without having to call, text or email everyone to let them know individually.
While this is completely reasonable approach in most circumstances, if you’re tempted to post about your recent car accident, know that doing so can be detrimental to the outcome of your personal injury case.
The other side can look at what you’re posting
Your social media activity can then be used by the “other side” of your legal matter to try and pick holes in your account of what happened and/or whether you’re really as hurt as you claim to be. You can then be questioned about their findings in court if the matter goes to trial.
For example, if you’re making a personal injury claim because you suffered injuries as a result of a car accident, you should be careful about posting pictures that suggest your injuries are not as severe as you know they are. An example would be posting yourself at the gym or hiking when you are claiming that your back is injured. Say that you’re posting because you’re proud of the progress you’re making in physical therapy by completing exercises prescribed by your care team. Opposing counsel could misinterpret and twist this effort to indicate that your back isn’t really prohibitively injured.
If you’ve been injured due to another’s negligent, reckless or intentionally dangerous conduct, it’s a good idea to find out more about your legal rights to compensation for your injuries and other losses. When you make this effort, you can also request personalized feedback concerning issues like social media usage while your case is pending.