Carabin Shaw is one of the leading personal injury law firms in San Antonio. They have extensive experience in car accident cases, focusing on securing compensation for clients that reflects the full extent of their medical bills, property damage, and pain and suffering.
Specialization: Personal injury, car accidents, wrongful death, truck accident injury, 18-wheeler accidents.
Why choose them?: Carabin Shaw offers a free initial consultation, and their team is known for fighting aggressively for their clients’ rights.
Carabin Shaw Personal Injury Blogs – San Antonio
How Social Media Can Affect Your Personal Injury Case
In today’s connected world, posting on social media is second nature. But after a personal injury accident, those posts can do more harm than good. At Carabin Shaw, we’ve seen numerous San Antonio clients inadvertently damage their cases through Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and other social media platforms. Understanding how your online presence can affect your lawsuit is critical to preserving your right to compensation.
Your Social Media Is Not as Private as You Think
Even if your social media accounts are set to ‘private,’ don’t assume your posts are safe from scrutiny. Insurance companies and defense attorneys may request access to your social content through discovery in the legal process. Courts often allow these requests when the content is relevant to the injury claim. Got Injured In An Accident – CALL SHAW
This means anything you post—even innocently—could be used as evidence against you. Photos, comments, check-ins, and even emojis may be taken out of context to discredit your injuries or contradict your claims.
Examples of Social Media Pitfalls
Let’s say you were injured in a car accident and are pursuing a personal injury lawsuit for back pain, lost wages, and emotional distress. Consider how the following posts might affect your case:
– A photo of you dancing at a party or lifting a child, posted after the accident
– A comment about “feeling fine” or “getting better”
– A check-in at the gym or on a vacation
– Jokes or memes downplaying injury claims
These posts may not reflect your actual condition or pain level, but the defense will argue they show you’re exaggerating your injuries. This can severely undermine your credibility and reduce your settlement value—or even result in a denied claim.
Why Insurance Companies Monitor Social Media
Insurance companies are businesses. Their goal is to minimize payouts. To that end, they will search for any evidence that contradicts your claim. Social media is a goldmine for this kind of information. It’s fast, public, and often revealing.
They may also monitor the accounts of your friends and family, tagging you in posts or photos that suggest a different narrative than the one your attorney is presenting.
What You Should Do to Protect Your Case
Follow these best practices if you’re involved in a personal injury lawsuit:
– **Avoid posting entirely.** Take a social media break until your case is resolved.
– **Ask friends not to tag you.** Even if you’re not posting, others can unintentionally damage your claim.
– **Don’t delete old posts.** This could be seen as destroying evidence and hurting your credibility.
– **Consult your lawyer before posting anything.** Always check before sharing updates or photos.
– **Adjust your privacy settings.** This helps, but it’s not foolproof. Assume everything is discoverable.
Past Cases Show the Risks
There have been real-life examples where personal injury plaintiffs lost their cases due to social media activity. One client claimed ongoing depression and emotional trauma but posted smiling vacation selfies. Another reported chronic knee pain, but was tagged in a hiking trip. In both cases, the defense used these posts to argue the injuries were less serious or faked.
Judges and juries are influenced by perception. A single post can cast doubt, even if your injuries are real and your suffering valid.
Digital Footprint Can Be Permanent
Remember, deleting a post doesn’t mean it’s gone. Screenshots, cached versions, and data stored by third parties can resurface. Once posted, it’s out there. This is why the safest approach is not to post at all during the course of your case.
Carabin Shaw Helps You Navigate the Digital Minefield
Our attorneys don’t just build strong legal cases—we help you protect them from every angle, including social media. During your free consultation, we’ll review your online presence and give you practical tips to avoid self-sabotage.
We also work with expert investigators and use the law to keep unfair or misleading social content from hurting your claim.
Final Thoughts
Social media is powerful—but so is silence. When your health, compensation, and future are at stake, it’s best to keep your personal life separate from your professional life. At Carabin Shaw, we help San Antonio injury victims protect their claims and secure the results they deserve. Contact us today for experienced, strategic legal guidance that puts your best interests first.