With its ever-growing popularity, social media has become an integral part of most everyone’s daily lives. While many benefits come from using social media platforms, doing so also comes with risks.

The legal realm has seen some negative effects in cases where content has been used against clients in a court of law. At Trevett Cristo, we have handled many personal injury cases, and would like to lend some advice on how to not let social media affect your outcome in the courtroom.

Whether you were hurt at work, on private property or in an auto accident, an important rule to follow when in one of these situations is not to talk about the initial incident, lawsuit or defendant on social media. In modern day cases, the defense attorneys frequently search social media accounts for information that could be used against you in a court of law. This includes status posts, conversations, tweets and photographs. Social media is not a confidential outlet, yet it is normal for people to often post personal or intimate opinions and happenings online. Sometimes it may not even be your doing since tagging, which is when someone else posts something that will be visible on your personal page, is widely used as well. These posts could be considered fair game when another attorney is building a case against you.

Protect yourself from instances like these by keeping your social media accounts private for the duration of the lawsuit and refrain from posting as well. If you have any questions on how social media could affect your personal injury lawsuit, contact an attorney at Trevett Cristo today.