One of the first things your Athens accident lawyer will tell you is to avoid talking about your accident on social media. As tempting as it may be to vent about your injuries or your car, you need to keep this stuff to yourself. You don’t want what started out as an innocent comment on Facebook to be the reason you lose your case. All the defendant has to do is find one post that makes it look like you caused the accident. Or they’ll point to a comment or picture and say it proves you weren’t hurt as bad as your Athens accident lawyer said you were.
If you or your family are injured in a motor vehicle accident, you’ll need help navigating the insurance process. The first thing you’ll need to do is file a claim with the other driver’s insurance company. Hopefully, your claim is paid. If that’s the case, you’ll have your check in a matter of weeks. If, however, your claim is denied, you’ll need the help of one of our seasoned Athens accident lawyers.
People Seem Addicted to Their Handheld Devices
The first thing a lot of people do when they wake up is check their social media. It’s also the last thing they look at before they go to bed. Any free time they have is spent scrolling through Facebook or looking at Instagram. When people add to their Facebook story, their friends and contacts are notified. Once their story or post is published online, it’s there forever. Even if you delete it, the other driver’s defense lawyer can still find it. All they have to do is get a screen print of your post. If they think it helps their case, they’ll submit it as evidence.
The Defendant’s Attorney Will Use Social Media Against You
When you post on Facebook or Instagram, the last thing you’re worried about is someone using the information in court. However, this seems to be the case more and more. If you’re suing somebody for injuries sustained in a car accident, they’ll do all they can to disprove your claims. One of the places they’ll look is social media. Some of the things they’ll look for include:
- Pictures of your car from before the crash showing dents and other damage
- A post from a year before the accident indicating that you are a terrible driver
- Pictures from the day of the crash showing you with an alcoholic beverage in your hand
- Comments from friends about how lucky you are that you’ll get the summer off from work to recover from your injuries
Any of these things can destroy your case. The last thing you want to do is make your Athens accident lawyer’s job harder. They’ll have their hands full as it is trying to prove your case. It certainly won’t help if you hand the defendant evidence to use against you on a silver platter.
Don’t Make Your Athens Accident Lawyer’s Job Harder
Once the defendant’s insurance company denies your claim, your Athens accident lawyer will likely file suit against them. Once they’re notified of this fact, they’re going to start looking for any information to help their client. One of the first places they’re going to look is social media. They’ll check sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to see what you’ve said about the accident online. They’ll take screen prints of anything they see. This way, even if you delete the post, they’ll be able to submit copies of it to the court.
Your Athens Accident Lawyer Will Look for Evidence Online Too
One thing to keep in mind is that your Athens accident lawyer is going to look for evidence on social media too. They’ll look for the same things on the defendant’s page that the other side is looking for on your page. They’ll search for things like the following to show that the defendant was negligent and is liable for your injuries:
- Pictures or comments showing that they were drinking before the crash
- Comments from friends that make it appear that the defendant was at fault
- Comments from the other driver in which they joke about the accident
Depending on what they find, your attorney will use it as leverage in their settlement negotiations.
Call and Speak with a Skilled Athens Accident Lawyer Today
If you’ve been hurt in a car accident, then you need help going up against the big insurance companies. Call our office and talk to an experienced Athens accident lawyer right away. The consultation is free, and you don’t have to pay anything upfront.
