Social media can feel private. It can feel like you’re talking to people you know and those privacy settings can give you the impression that the things you post are safe and secure. The problem is that social media is rarely private. Most things you post can be found at a later time. It’s also really easy to find posts in groups.
Here are some ways that posting to social media can hurt your case:
- You mentioned something that could prove a pre-existing condition. Sometimes we post information on social media because we want to feel supported, cared for, or just generally want people to know what we’re going through. It’s not uncommon to post something like: “that run ruined my knees but it was worth it!” If you happen to get into an accident that injures your legs, that post may be used as evidence for a pre-existing condition.
- Incriminating evidence is also an unwanted aspect of social media. If you’re trying to collect money from an accident that happened Monday but you run a Spartan Race (and post photos) on Friday, you probably won’t get those dollars. Be careful when posting your everyday activities or hobbies on social media.
- Have you ever thought about wear and tear from a hobby or activity? You might be an avid cyclist that loves to post images of your bike rides on Facebook or Instagram. If you have been riding a bike for many years, it could be proven that the injuries you sustained in a car accident weren’t caused by that accident at all. It could be proven that those injuries were caused by your cycling addiction. Is it fair? Probably not. Does it happen? All the time.
So what can you do? The best course of action is to really think when you post anything on social media. Think about who might see it, what it could imply, whether or not it could incriminate, and how it might get you into trouble when it comes to making a personal injury claim. Social media is “social” for a reason and that reason is that it’s not private!
