When your child is involved in an Accident, you likely have a thousand thoughts running through your head. As a concerned parent, you may be anxious to understand the severity of your child’s physical injuries—and the recovery process. You may also be worried about your child’s emotional distress from the accident—and any implications this may have on their future. Your most dominant instinct is to protect. Your child’s wellbeing is paramount above all else.

In such a trying time, one consideration that may not even cross your mind is your child’s activity on Social Media. However, if you are pursuing a claim against another party for your child’s injuries, then it’s important to understand how Instagram, Twitter and Facebook can impact the outcome of your case.

Let’s say your daughter is laid up in bed, recovering from her injuries. She may be bored and a little lonely—and turn to Social media to connect with her friends. She may post a picture of herself in bed—appearing happier and healthier than she actually feels. A lawyer could use such a post against her to discredit her claim of pain and suffering.

Anything your child posts online is permanently accessible—even if the posts have subsequently been deleted. Therefore, it’s critical to talk to your child about proper online behavior following an accident. Make sure your child understands to:

• Never post any information relating to their accident or recovery,
• Refrain from posting any photos or videos of themselves until after the case is settled and
• Tell their friends not to post anything about the accident—and to avoid tagging your child in any online content concerning the accident.

As a parent, the same rules apply to you. Don’t be tempted to use social media to vent your concerns or frustrations surrounding the accident or the lawsuit. It could come back to bite you.