At the Law Offices of Jon Friedman, our Oregon personal injury attorneys partner with our clients from the moment we begin discussing their cases during free consultations. We do all we can to protect their rights and the integrity of their cases by providing trusted legal advice that has produced positive results for our clients for nearly four decades.
As technology has advanced, so has our approach to ensuring our clients safeguard their legal options by avoiding social media while they recover from their accidents and injuries.
Here is why.
Social Media Privacy Settings are Not Secure
When our personal injury lawyers advise our clients of the hazards of posting to social media during their recoveries, the recommendation is often met with, “My social media accounts are private.”
Unfortunately, this is not a dependable approach to ensuring your posts, information, images, or tags are safe from the insurance company’s review. In today’s social climate, people are losing their jobs, marriages, and credibility because of social media posts. Why not their personal injury cases?
When the insurance company begins researching your claim, one of its first steps will be an internet search of your name, followed by a thorough review of your social media platforms. The goal is to see what you say about your personal injury case and overall recovery.
Any sign of impropriety can dismantle your case without notice, as insurance companies search for damaging details like:
- Comments/posts describing the accident — including who was at fault, or an explanation of how it happened — and your injuries may contradict the details in your personal injury claim, leading to the insurance company calling your version of events into question.
- Comments/posts that say you are “Feeling great!” or “Going to lunch!” or, worse, “Skipping today’s physical therapy appointment (to do something else instead)!” These types of comments allude to the fact that you are not as hurt as you reported.
- Images/videos of you in social settings without crutches or other medical devices like braces, carrying heavy items, running, or jumping, undermining the severity of your injuries.
- Mentions/tags of you in locations that would not be suitable for injured people, like nightclubs, recreational facilities, camping, or on hikes.
If our Oregon personal injury lawyers work tirelessly to build your case and negotiate with the insurance company regarding your overall financial compensation needs — based on the severity of your injuries — and you post a picture of you and your friends dancing, your case may be compromised.
Lastly, if we have to file a lawsuit, all of your social media is discoverable to the at-fault insurance company in Oregon courts.
It is vital to your case that you understand insurance companies will do everything they can to undervalue or deny your insurance claim, including monitoring your online activity, missed medical appointments, and any physical activity for an opening to do just that.
No matter how secure your settings are, your social media account can become a large part of your personal injury case’s collapse. So, how do you avoid it?
Pause All Social Media Use Until Your Personal Injury Case is Finalized
Posting a statement about how you are feeling, a picture of you smiling, or even an emoji can be taken out of context, misinterpreted, and manipulated by the insurance company and damage your chances of successfully pursuing a fair settlement.
Instead, quickly assess which type of social media accounts you have, including Facebook, Instagram, X, Snapchat, or TikTok, turn off your profiles, and remove the apps from your phone, tablet, or another electronic device to avoid the temptation of posting altogether.
Contact Our Experienced Personal Injury Lawyers in Oregon for Help Today
If you have suffered a personal injury because of another person, party, or entity’s negligence in Oregon, contact our Multnomah County attorneys at the Law Offices of Jon Friedman at (503) 242-1440 or online today to schedule a free consultation and get the help you need to make informed decisions about the direction of your case.
