After A Florida Work Injury, Stay Away From Social Networking Sites

In today’s society everything we do seems to be posted on Facebook, tweeted about on Twitter, or uploaded on some social networking site.  Did you know that Facebook has over 500 million users, and Twitter has about 100 million users? The most popular social networking site in the world is Facebook. Approximately 200 million photos get uploaded to Facebook daily and about 100 million videos are watched on YouTube every day.

What does this have to do with your work injury case? Everything.

For those of you who post on Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, LinkedIn, or other social networking sites, you need to be careful about what you post.  What you post could damage or destroy any legal case, especially when you are involved in a personal injury or workers’ compensation case.

If you have been injured at work in Florida and post about it, it could damage your case.  Also, pictures posted on one of these networking sites showing that you don’t appear to be injured, yet you are claiming injuries could damage your case.

Attorneys for the insurance companies will research you online.  They will look at Facebook or any other social networking site to try and catch you in the act.  They will view posts and photos, even posts or photos by your friends.  No matter what your privacy settings, courts have been known to order plaintiffs to allow their Facebook pages and other social networking pages to be viewed by the insurance lawyers.

It’s a different age we live in now.  Evidence from Facebook and other sites are admissible in court, which indicates that social networking sites have changed litigation in Florida and throughout this nation.

What Can You Do About This?

• Check Facebook to secure your privacy settings.  Also, take down photos and posts that aren’t of good character.
• Never accept friend requests online from someone you don’t know.  It may be a clerk, attorney or someone spying on you.
• Search your own name to see what comes up about yourself. Google yourself as well as type your name into YouTube and other popular sites. Make sure this information is satisfactory.
• NEVER post anything about the case, your Florida work accident or injury to any of these sites.
• Make sure your friends aren’t uploading photos of you to any of these social networking sites that could damage your case.

Be smart and vigilant during this time.  Remember, the insurance company is out to lower the settlement you receive, and they will do anything that will help them destroy your case.

If you have been injured at work, contact an experienced Florida workers’ compensation lawyer to help you file your claim, file an appeal, or file a lawsuit against your employer or the person who was responsible for your injury. Call the Law Offices of David Benenfeld to schedule your free legal consultation and get your questions answered at (561) 960-5515(561) 960-5515