In 2025, almost everyone lives part of their life online. Your social media activity could seriously damage your case if you suffered an injury in a car accident, slip and fall, or other personal injury situation.
Let’s talk about how—and what to do about it.
Insurance Companies Are Watching You Online
Insurance adjusters will search for you online. Adjusters look for anything that makes it seem like you’re not really hurt—or not as hurt as you claim. That means they’ll comb through:
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Facebook photos
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Instagram stories
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TikTok videos
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Twitter/X comments
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Even old check-ins or tagged posts
If they find something that contradicts your claims, they’ll use it against you. Here are a few ways that social media affects personal injury cases.
3 Common Social Media Mistakes That Affect Your Personal Injury Case
1. 📸 Your Posts Don’t Match Your Injuries
Imagine you suffered a spinal injury in a car accident, but you post a smiling photo at a family barbecue. Insurance defense lawyers use a single photo to argue you’re exaggerating or faking your injuries—even if you were in pain the whole time.
Pro tip: Don’t give the defense anything they can twist against you.
2. 🤐 You Complain Online—but Not About Your Injury
If you vent about traffic, weather, or your job—but say nothing about your serious injury—it sends the wrong message. It looks like you’re not affected by your accident at all.
Juries notice those inconsistencies. And they may question your entire case because of it.
3. 📢 You Complain Too Much About Your Injury
Some people think daily posts about their pain will help their case. It won’t. Juries can spot exaggeration. So can insurance companies.
If you suddenly shift your entire feed to injury complaints, it looks staged. That hurts your credibility.
What Should You Do with Social Media During Your Case?
✅ 1. Stop Posting
This is the best option. Don’t post, comment, or share anything. Period. Stay silent until your case is resolved.
✅ 2. Tighten Your Privacy Settings
At the very least, limit who can see your posts. But remember: nothing is ever truly private online. Screenshots can still be shared.
✅ 3. Consider Deactivating Your Accounts
Deactivation doesn’t delete anything, but it pauses your account and keeps you from making accidental mistakes. Your content can still be produced if properly requested in discovery, but you won’t keep adding new risks.
Can You Delete Old Posts?
No. Deleting or hiding posts after a personal injury can be considered destruction of evidence. That can kill your case.
Talk to your Virginia personal injury lawyer first. We can guide you on how to respond if there’s already something concerning on your profile.
Don’t Give the Insurance Company Ammunition
If you say one thing to your doctor and another thing on Instagram, the insurance company will find it. And they will use it to:
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Devalue your claim
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Undermine your credibility
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Argue your injuries aren’t serious
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Offer you less money—or none at all
Final Advice: Be Smart and Stay Silent
Social media affects personal injury cases in many ways. You don’t need to prove your case on Facebook. In fact, posting about your injuries almost always does more harm than good.
Instead, let your lawyer build your case using:
✅ Medical records
✅ Testimony from friends and family
✅ Expert opinions
✅ Your own sworn statements
We’ve helped countless clients across Lynchburg and Central Virginia recover after serious injuries. Social media mistakes are one of the easiest ways to lose leverage in a case. Don’t let it happen to you.
📞 Need Help After an Injury?
If you’ve been hurt and have questions about your case—or your online presence—contact our office today. We’re here to protect your rights and help you recover.
