Have you ever called in sick to work and then informed your friends via Facebook that you were headed to the beach for the day? As the trend towards detailing every aspect of our lives on social media sites continues, employers, university administrators and even insurance companies and members of the legal community are using not-so-private status updates, photos and videos posted on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube against workers, students, and now individuals filing personal injury claims as well. Consider, for example, how damaging a video of you crowd surfing at a Lady Gaga concert could be for your personal injury case claiming whiplash injuries from a car accident. In light of this risk, the personal injury attorneys at Michael D. Ponce & Associates are urging clients to refrain from posting personal information on social networking sites, especially during a personal injury case.
With more and more internet users creating profiles online, investigators and insurance claims adjusters now routinely look to social media sites for information to help build a defense or to reduce potential damage claims. In addition to searching for pictures or statements that could demonstrate an exaggeration of your injuries, they are also looking for general information that could be used to undermine your credibility, embarrass you in front of the jury and judge, or make you out to be an immoral person who partakes in illegal activity. Even something as minute as a picture of you smiling and having fun could be used against you in your personal injury case. And now that everything is tagged these days, all a defense lawyer or insurance company has to do is type your name into a search engine and they can gain access to your Facebook profile, Twitter posts, YouTube videos, and other publicly posted information.
While not all evidence of this kind is admissible under Tennessee personal injury law, individuals filing a personal injury claim are strongly advised to take what they say, do and post into consideration when using social networking sites. If you or a loved one has suffered injuries in a car, truck or motorcycle accident in Tennessee, or if you have questions about workers’ compensation, Social Security Disability Insurance, or aspects of TN employment law, contact our qualified attorneys at Michael D. Ponce & Associates today. Our law firm is located in Nashville, and our lawyers have years of experience helping protect the legal rights of individuals injured at work, those seeking disability benefits and those pursuing compensation for a personal injury claim. With the help of our Tennessee personal injury attorneys, you can protect yourself against deceptive defense attorneys and insurance companies, and seek fair and timely reimbursement for your injuries.