Steering Clear of The Public Eye
It is important to understand that every single public action can be called into question before, during and after your injury claim is considered.
I always advise my injury clients to err on the side of caution – Providing insurance legal teams and opposing parties any ammunition is never a good strategy! With today’s prolific social media presence, an entirely new element is introduced into the mix.
Be Careful of Public Commentary
For legal teams with excessive budgets and resources, finding and tracking your online presence is a piece of cake. Digging out and manipulating information that can hurt your case is an easy and efficient means for a defense team to ruin your credibility and ultimately impact the case against their client. In one example, a plaintiff was injured but exclaimed what a fun, exhausting time he had dancing at a loved ones’ wedding! This information was used by the defense and the case thrown out. It turns out the victim was only trying to promote his online persona and never actually stepped foot on the dance floor!
It is also important to remember that on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter – It is not just what you post or share; every single click can be tracked, every article or photo you ‘like’ is visible, and this can potentially be devastating to your case. My advice is to steer clear for the duration of your case, from start to finish. I tell my clients that although there is nothing to hide, it is the opposing legal teams’ goal to find, spin and present any contradictory information.
Photo Problems
Documenting and sharing our lives in photos is more convenient than ever. New or old images can be misconstrued and used against your case. While honesty is always the best policy, tucking away your social photo presence will ensure your online images don’t haunt your case.
My clients know I will be there every step of the way to ensure they are fully protected!
