Social Media Posts and Your Insurance Claim in Spokane or Elsewhere

If you are an avid user of Facebook, Twitter, or other social media platforms, and you are involved in a personal injury case, or any type of lawsuit, you need to pay attention to what you make publicly available on these social media sites. 

Your social media accounts are the first place a defendant or insurance company will look to try and dig up personal dirt to use against you, or to discredit your claims. 

Here at the Gilbert Law Firm in Spokane, we tell clients to imagine they are standing on top of a mountain and shouting the information to a sea of reporters down below – all of whom have an eye on hurting you with a story about you based upon a twisted version of your own words or images. 

An important recommendation is to simply stop posting anything personal while your case is pending.

Read on for some guidelines to follow from our Spokane personal injury attorneys if you feel like you cannot go completely without social media during your claim.

At a minimum, do not post updates about test results, imaging results or any other medical related information, whether good or bad.

Many photos reflect a very positive moment and can be taken out of context. 

For example, we’ve had a head injured client with balance issues take photos out on the boat smiling with the family and post them. What the photos did not show was the vomiting and sweating our client experienced trying to go out on the boat for a few minutes only to cut the trip short because they just couldn’t handle the motion.

People tend to post intimate details about their relationships online. But these details can be misrepresented during a legal proceeding.

If you have an argument with your spouse, don’t post about it even though you’re upset and need or want to validate your position. It’s highly likely you and your spouse will work through the difficulty in time, but the “rant” does not disappear.

The same goes for arguments with friends, co-workers and other family members. Those people may be “witnesses” in your case, and you do not want an old dispute suddenly creating new issues for you during trial.

Don’t post content containing political issues. Also don’t post swear words or other potentially off-color content. Before offering any money on your case, the insurer and defense attorney are trying to get a sense of who you are as a person and trying to decide if a jury will like you. 

While these types of posts may not come in at trial as an exhibit, it may inhibit your ability to get a fair settlement value for your case without the need for a trial. Trials are expensive, so if you can get a fair resolution without the expense of a trial, you have more money in your pocket in the end.

Always use common sense when posting on line – and assume that anything you post is going to come back to bite you. If you have questions about anything you may or may not want to post, ask your Spokane, Washington attorney for further direction. Our team at the Gilbert Law Firm works to help our clients obtain the compensation they deserve after a personal injury.

We have a reputation of fighting for our clients at the negotiating table and in the courtroom. To speak to an experienced Spokane personal injury lawyer, contact the Gilbert Law Firm today.

Disclaimer: The blog published by the Gilbert Law Firm marketing team for informational purposes only and is not considered legal advice or a substitute for legal advice. There is no attorney-client relationship between the reader and the blog publisher. Readers are urged to consult their own legal counsel on any specific legal questions concerning a specific situation.