How Social Media Posts Can Impact Your Dog Bite Lawsuit
For many people, social media has become an integral part of their lives. It provides a way to share your experiences with friends and family, and it can be an important way to stay connected to people who don’t live near you. However, it’s important to understand that there are times when posting on social media can have unintended negative consequences. This is often the case when you are involved in an unresolved dog bite lawsuit.
Why Is It Dangerous to Post on Social Media During My Dog Bite Case?
Posting on your social media accounts provides the dog owner’s attorney with evidence that can be used against you during the lawsuit. Depending on the nature of your posts, they can be used to:
- Undermine your credibility
- Dispute the cause of the attack
- Argue your injuries and damages aren’t as severe as you claim
This can create a scenario that undermines your ability to recover the total compensation to which you’re entitled.
What Should You Avoid Posting on Social Media?
Due to the risks associated with posting on social media during an active dog bite lawsuit, we recommend that you avoid posting anything at all until your case has been resolved. However, it’s critical that you refrain from engaging in the following activities on your social media platforms:
- Posting details about the dog bite attack or your recovery – This information can be used to prove your actions at the time of the attack make you partially liable for your injuries or that your recovery demonstrates your injuries were less severe than you claim.
- Posting pictures enjoying your favorite activities – Pictures of you living your best life can potentially undermine your request for damages to compensate you for pain and suffering or a reduced quality of life while you recover from your injuries.
- Posting videos of engaging in physical activity – Videos of dancing, hiking, playing sports or engaging in other forms of physical activity can undermine a claim that you suffered incapacitating injuries.
- Posts related to your job – If you’re requesting damages for lost wages, posts complaining about your job or sharing work you completed remotely for job-related projects can make it harder to prove you missed time at work.
This list is by no means exhaustive. There is a wide range of social media content that can potentially be damaging to your case. For this reason, it’s best to err on the side of caution and simply stay off social media entirely.
Additional Precautions to Take on Social Media During the Lawsuit
There are several other steps you should take to reduce the chance that your social media posts negatively impact your dog bite case:
- Set your profiles to private – Check your permissions settings on your social media profiles and set them to private. When your profiles are visible to the public, anyone can see them. By making your profiles private, only people in your network can see the content on your posts.
- Only accept friend requests from people you know – Avoid accepting friend requests from people who you don’t know, as it could be someone working for the dog owner’s legal team trying to monitor your social media activity.
- Ask family and friends to avoid tagging you in their posts – Even if you’re not posting on your profiles, the dog owner’s legal team can still learn about your activity if your friends and family are posting about you and tagging you in their posts. Make sure everyone close to you knows to leave you out of their posts.
- Avoid commenting on other people’s posts – Your comments are searchable, so it’s best to avoid making any comments until your case is resolved. It’s always possible that a comment you make on someone else’s post can be used against you during your lawsuit.
- Never delete your profiles – While you want to set your profiles to private, avoid deleting them since this can be seen as evidence that you’re trying to hide something.
Pushchak Law Can Help
If you’ve been injured in a dog bite attack, you may be entitled to compensation for your damages. At Pushchak Law, we’ve made dog bite cases a primary focus of our practice. Brian Pushchak understands the complex laws governing these cases, and he knows how to demonstrate the total extent of your damages. This level of specialization gives you the edge you need to maximize your compensation.
In addition, Mr. Pushchak understands the dangers posed by using social media during a lawsuit. If you are an active social media user, make sure to discuss this with Mr. Pushchak during your consultation and he’ll provide you with advice on the best ways to prevent social media activity from damaging your case.
When you work with Mr. Pushchak, you’ll benefit from his unique Informed Decisions™ Approach focused on helping you achieve a successful outcome to your case. This approach ensures you remain in control of the entire process. Mr. Pushchak will take the time necessary to educate you about your legal rights and options, and he’ll answer any questions you have. After he recommends the best strategy to achieve your desired outcome, you’ll have final say on how your case is handled. This process ensures Mr. Pushchak is always aligned with your goals.
Contact us today to schedule a free consultation. Pushchak Law serves clients in Denver and throughout Colorado.
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