Posting about all aspects of our lives on social media may come as second nature, but it can have wide-reaching effects and potentially ruin your car accident claim. Without even knowing it, what you post may give an insurance company the support they need to dispute essential elements of your case.
How Social Media Can Ruin Your Car Accident Claim
If you file a car accident claim, the chances are high that someone working for the insurance company will look for you on various social media platforms. Here are a few ways an adjuster will use your posts to deny or devalue your claim:
You’re Not Physically Hurt
If you claim to have been injured, but you post photos of yourself out and about, the defense may claim that you are not as severely injured as you say, or even at all. For this reason, you should not post any photos of yourself after your injury, photos of your healing process, or photos that involve any activities.
Admission of Fault
Any posts about your accident on social media can be misconstrued as an admission of fault. Even the briefest and seemingly innocent statements may be interpreted as you implying you are responsible, which would seriously hurt your case. For example, “ I didn’t see him coming.”
Confidentiality
Any information posted about your injury or accident on social media negates any confidentiality protection. In other words, you are giving the insurer or at-fault party access to information that should remain between just you and your attorney.
You Aren’t Impacted Emotionally
Reassuring your friends and family that you are doing okay after your accident can be used to defend against any claim of being mentally or emotionally impacted by your injury.
Sign of Bad Faith
Venting your frustrations online can permit an insurance company to argue that you are negotiating in bad faith, and as a result, they don’t have to negotiate with you at all.
How To Protect Yourself
The best ways to protect yourself is to:
Consider that nothing you post on social media will be kept private;
Discourage your friends and family from commenting on your injuries, the incident that led to your injuries, or your claim;
Change the privacy settings to all of your social media accounts to the most stringent levels;
Turn of geolocation for your social media posts; and
Never accept friend requests from people you do not know.
However, the most effective way to protect yourself is to avoid posting on social media at all. Even if your account is set to private, defense attorneys and insurance companies can still access your information. If you do post, do not discuss your injury, and do not post any photos of yourself or of any activities you partake in. Additionally, ask friends and family to refrain from posting any photos of you.
We Offer Free Consultations
If you have been involved in a car accident, contact Goldblatt + Singer. Our St. Louis Car Accident Lawyer can help you avoid any potential pitfalls that can prevent you from recovering the compensation you deserve. Call (314) 888-1000 or message us online today.
