The planning of a civil case has dramatically changed because of social media. Not only can an accident attorney gain access to a lot more evidence, but the presence of social media can help make cases stronger. While your lawyer completes a lot of the legislative process, there are many steps you can take on your own to help build a case or present evidence.
After you are the victim of a personal injury due to an auto accident, there are multiple ways to secure social media for legal evidence in your case. When following any of these steps, it's always important to consult with your attorney,, like one at Bailey Law Office Ltd, to ensure everything is completed legally and properly.
Social Media & the News
One form of entertainment that has taken social media by storm is the local news. Newspapers and local broadcast network affiliates often use multiple forms of social media to report news and get user feedback from viewers and local citizens. These are very valuable resources that can actually provide even more information than the original newspaper or broadcast. Follow these tips to get the most from social media posts.
- User Comments: Under each social media post it's a good idea to read as many comments as possible. Examples of things to look for in a car crash are witnesses. For example, if a person writes "Saw that. Pretty brutal crash" then they could serve a potential witness in the case. It's important to get information only and not to contact the user personally. Pass this information onto your lawyer for the possibility of additional witnesses.
- User Digital Content: Not only can news sources report information, but users can give information too. Social media websites related to news outlets can feature videos and photos submitted directly by people that witnessed the car accident. Using these accounts, you can help assemble more information for your case. It's important to download any content and properly label it just in case it is removed from the website.
- News Article Comments: Along with the specific social media pages, check out the actual articles on the official news websites. Users are allowed to connect using social media accounts and often contribute additional information to a story. If your car accident is published, keep tabs on the article for multiple days following the accident. This can help you recover as much information as possible.
Screenshots
One of the best way to capture information that you find through social media posts is with screenshots. When capturing a screenshot on your computer, you want to ensure it has as much information as possible for your attorney to analyze. The basics include the full name of the social media user and the time and date that the item was posted and captured.
To ensure accuracy and to avoid a lack of proof, it's important to load as much of the information as possible. For example, if someone comments on the accident and has an admission of guilt, you want to load all the comments in the feed by clicking "Show Previous Comments." This will showcase everything that was said and help show that nothing was taken out of context.
Personal Accounts
While it's important to actively search on different social media accounts, you should not be active on yours unless you have approval from your attorney. Depending on the exact injuries, the opposite effect can occur for any social media posts. For example, if you are claiming a neck injury during a car accident, even a picture of you holding up a young child can dispute the injuries you have.
Even posts set so only family and friends can see could possibly be accessed and used against you in court. Keep posts to a minimum and even if this is a challenge, seek alternatives to your social media activity until the case moves forward.
Don't take any extra chances. It's always OK to consult your attorney with questions you have about social media and your pending case.
