Can Social Media Impact Your Personal Injury Claim?
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- Can Social Media Impact Your Personal Injury Claim?
December 3, 2018
Many people use social media to talk about things going on in their lives, including information about a recent accident. However, in a personal injury claim, you run the risk of anything you post online being used against you. It is important to understand how social media can affect your claim and ways that you can protect your claim.
The experienced Phoenix personal injury attorneys at Phillips Law Group can provide you with advice and guidelines regarding social media use while you have a pending personal injury claim. We can also help answer any additional questions you may have during a free, no obligation case consultation.
Social Media and Privacy Rights
Many people use social media to connect with others across the country and the world. However, statements made on these platforms can often be used in courts. Most comments, posts and other submissions on these sites are considered public, even if you have taken steps to adjust your privacy settings.
There are many ways that people can gain access to your social media information, including pretending to be someone in order to gain access to your profile or to use information they get from your friend’s page. Insurance adjusters may be able to request information about your social media profiles in discovery and gain access to it.
Past content may still be visible from times before you adjusted your privacy settings. Although you may feel that you have a right to share with whom you want, there may be legal ways around your privacy settings.
Ways Social Media Can Hurt Your Injury Claim
The insurance adjuster’s job is to show that you were responsible for the accident, to convince the jury that you are not as badly hurt as you claim or that you are making up your injuries. Any evidence that is on social media that supports any of these theories may be used against you.
Insurance adjusters and attorneys representing the at-fault party’s insurer will look for the following posted information:
- Comments ”“ Insurance adjusters may read comments that you make about your case to gain inside information that would otherwise be privileged between you and your attorney. They may also go back years in your online profile to look for preexisting injuries to claim that you were not actually hurt in the accident.
- Pictures ”“ Insurance adjusters may try to find pictures of you engaging in active behaviors, such as dancing or partying to claim that you were not actually injured. Even a picture of you smiling can be used against you.
- Videos ”“ Videos that show that you are feeling fine may be used to undermine your claim of pain and suffering or the type of injuries you allege. Insurance adjustersmay also use videos to try to show that you are exaggerating your injuries.
How to Protect Yourself on Social Media Platforms
The best rule for social media use when you have a pending legal proceeding is not to use it at all. However, many people are hesitant about taking this action as they rely heavily on social media to stay in touch with people. Some other ways that you can protect your claim on social media are:
- Be careful what you post ”“ Think about what you post before making it public. Think about how the insurance adjuster may use the information. Avoid talking about your claim online, anything you shared with your personal injury attorney and photos of the accident or your injuries.
- Adjust your privacy settings ”“ Adjust your privacy settings so only friends and family can locate and view your profile. While this is not a foolproof plan, it may provide some degree of protection.
- Ask friends and family to be private ”“ Ask your friends and family not to discuss your case online, including your injuries or any other information that insurance adjusters may be trying to obtain.
Contact Phillips Law Group for Legal Assistance
If you were injured in an accident, contact the personal injury attorneys at Phillips Law Group for legal assistance. We can help you throughout the entire claims process. We can provide you with guidelines regarding your social media use and other tips to protect your rights while your case is pending.
If you decide to move forward, our firm works on a contingency fee basis, so you are only charged legal fees if we help you recover fair compensation for your claim.
Get started today by calling 1-800-706-3000 for your free case evaluation.
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I want to thank attorneys Tim and Robert and the paralegal Bethany for all they had done on my case. They were all empathetic, knowledgeable and professional. All my questions were answered, emails returned in a timely matter, and promises fulfilled. I recommend Phillips Law Group if you need help with your injury case.
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It’s an Honor and a Privilege to work for a company that cares about its employees and clients for 12 years. I’ve seen Management go out of their way to help someone whether it’s a personal matter or work related. I am also reminded of many occasions where a Client needed urgent help and we as a Team were able to get the person immediate assistance. At Phillips Law we make that happen through Teamwork and a dedication to our profession. I’ve had numerous jobs in several other fields, those were just jobs. This is a home. Many of us have been here for quite a few years, it feels like one large extended family.
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Definitely recommend! Awesome
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PLG is the best! Highly recommend. Love that they do so much to help the community.
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Working at Phillips Law Group has been a blessing from the beginning for me and I am extremely thankful to work for a firm that values their employees so much. Here I believe we are a huge family of hard working people that can bring a sense of comfort to our client’s lives in times of hardships, stress and chaos. From intake to Settlement we strive to provide the best customer care to all of our wonderful clients. With a 4.8 rating and over 1100+ star reviews on Google no surprise our firm is extremely well known for the quality of work we do!! #teamPLG!!
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I tried a few previous law firms and none would take my car accident case with confidence they could get my anything. Phillips law group took my case and although it took around 4 years to get this case settled as I was in treatment, they never let up with insurance adjusters and they got me as much money as possible. They worked hard for me and advocated for me. Shoutout to key individuals who worked my case nonstop of the years, Robert Ross & Jasmine, you are AMAZING!
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My Attorney Sean Davis and his paralegal Hannah Dustin worked on my case. They listened to the problems that I was having with my case and they both got right to work. First they found me a doctor that actually listened to my problems from my car accident and worked quickly to form a plan that was comfortable for me and the doctor. The doctor was the best and after a couple of procedures the pain in my neck was gone. Behind the scenes Sean and Hannah were working hard to get my case settled with the insurance company. They kept in contact with me on all aspects of my case. They settled my case much faster than I expected and for more than I was expecting. If you want two real professional legal people to work on your case, I would highly recommend Sean and Hannah to you. I cannot say enough nice things about these two. Thank you so much, Rickey Hart .
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Many companies talk about teamwork but few practice it. Many companies talk about an employee friendly environment but few actually provide it. At Phillips Law Group the foundation of our success is making sure we work as a team and that we work in an environment that allows everyone to thrive and be at their best every day. Our firm understands that in order for the client to have a great experience the people responsible for that client’s case must be given all the necessary tools and encouragement to make that happen. That’s the Phillips Way. As a manager of this firm in charge of several employees as well as directly affecting the client’s experience I take tremendous pride in saying we live by these premises and we work hard to build on them and make them better every day. This is an amazing place because it has amazing people working here!
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I would like to send special thanks to Phillips Law Group for giving me the opportunity to be a part of the Best Law Firm here in the Valley. During these troubling times with the epidemic, Phillips Law Group has masterfully created this family-like environment while still maintaining a professional and business-like approach for all their clients. Thru impeccable leadership that is unmatched by other law firms to the Multi-diverse employment opportunities that many employees advance within the firm; Phillips Law Group has not only distanced themselves from all other competition in the Personal Injury field but also has innovatively changed the narrative of being a great law institution. From providing Employee Appreciation Day to celebrating all major Holiday including great competitive contests; Phillips Law Group has the total participation of all employees to help contribute to the continued success of this firm. So in closing I would like to thank Senior Administration (Jeffery Phillips, Eva Chiaramonte, and Tim Tonkin) along with all of my colleagues and many friends for help making Phillips Law Group a unique and wonderful place to call my place of employment for 6+ years.
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Jon Jamieson was amazing to work with . He came through with all of his promises.