Strategies for Handling Social Media After a Personal Injury

Social media may be an enjoyable part of daily life, but it's important to stop and rethink how you use it in the aftermath an accident or another injury. Consider these tips and strategies for dealing with your social media accounts after experiencing a personal injury.

The overall best option for protecting yourself on social media is to stop using it for a while after an injury. Reach out to friends with phone calls and emails instead. Seek offline support that doesn't leave such a public trail.

No matter how open and honest you are on social media, you always run the risk of having things misconstrued. It's better to avoid the risk altogether. You may even want to delete social media accounts or temporarily disable them.

Let's face it — social media posts don't always have a lot of context. One post that shows someone going to a ski resort can leave the impression that they are healthily and happily skiing down the slopes all day, while the individual may simply have checked in for a relaxing day in the spa to help ease the pain of a debilitating injury.

When taken out of context, a lot of social media posts could make your personal injuries look minimal. If you're used to checking in on social media everywhere you go, it is a good idea to stop that while you are recovering from your injuries. Since you don't want to have to justify something as simple as going to the store, simply leaving activities offline is best.

Instagram posts that show beautiful photos of everyday life and Facebook group shots that show partying groups of friends can look bad after an accident. If you post all your hopeful and happy thoughts in between the pain you experience related to the injury, a defense team could potentially try to make it seem like claims of emotional distress are invalid because of the happiness showcased online.

Ranting after your accident can be a good thing. It can help you get out a lot of the frustration that can otherwise build up in an unhealthy way. However, social media is not the place to rant, and the aftermath of an accident is not the right time for posting bitter words on social media. It can come back to bite you if defense lawyers or investigators peruse your social media.

Things tend to get exaggerated in a rant, or words can simply come out in a way that can be misconstrued. Your own words could be twisted by the defense lawyers, and unintentional exaggerations in posts could undermine the very serious personal injury claim you have. If you need to rant, call up a friend or family member and have at it. Just don't post it on social media.

If you go to post something on social media after an accident and second guess yourself, don't post it. If you're not sure, it's better to be safe than sorry. You can instead have a document where you save posts you would have made. If you come back to the document later and see that you had something you still want to share with others, you can always post it later.

Finally, keep in mind that it's always best to consult with your attorney on any matter related to your personal injury case. It's alright to ask about social media posts, too. Contact Marienfeld Law, PLLC, for a consultation if you've been hurt in an accident or because of other negligence of others. We're here to protect your best interests and help you attain what you deserve.