How Social Should Your Social Media Be? Can Social Media be used in court?

The short answer is not very social!  If you are hurt in an automobile accident, or on the job in North Carolina or South Carolina, your social media presence could have a negative effect on your case.  In this age of selfies, Facebook, Instagram, and personal blogs, it is very easy to get yourself out on the Internet with your innermost thoughts and feelings on full display for the world to see.

However, if you are hurt in an automobile accident, and have to go to trial, perhaps the jury members won’t be so forgiving of a tweet, picture, or posting that doesn’t portray you in the most favorable light.  Those of us in the legal field call it electronic discovery, but to a plaintiff in a lawsuit such discovery is potentially harmful to their case.  The same new rules apply in a workers’compensation case.  If you are hurt on the job, it is best to shut down you social media presence because believe me your company, and their workers’ compensation insurance company are very interested in what you are posting.  We have seen cases where old posts come back to haunt clients who have new and sometimes devastating injuries.  So what can you do to protect yourself is to shut it down, and if you are going to be active keep it as private as possible with the caveat that if someone really wants to get your social media information they probably will be successful regardless of the protections that you think you have in place.     

Tippens & Zurosky is here to serve your auto accident and workers’ compensation needs, and has skilled and compassionate attorneys available to answer any and all questions that you might have about your case.  Tippens & Zurosky has represented people involved in auto accidents, or hurt on the job in North Carolina and South Carolina for nearly twenty years.  Let us answer any of your questions regarding any automobile accident, or work-related injury.  Call us toll free at (877) 372-3580, or 704-343-0018 to schedule a consultation so that we may assist you.