If you’re like most of the world, you log on to at least one social media platform throughout the day. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, and other social networks are great resources for keeping up with friends and networking. But they can also be dangerous if you’re in the middle of a personal injury claim.
How Can Social Media Impact My Personal Injury Claim?
In most personal injury cases, you’ll be seeking compensation from the at-fault party’s insurance company, or possibly your own. However, insurers are in the business of saving money. They accomplish that goal by making the lowest payouts possible to claimants like you.
All personal injury claims are built around strong evidence. Your lawyer will collect proof to demonstrate why the other party should be held liable for your injuries, lost wages, property damage, and pain and suffering. But at the same time, the insurance company will be seeking evidence to show why you don’t deserve compensation. Where do they look? Many places, including social media.
If you aren’t careful, your social media could provide a treasure trove of information that could be used against you by the insurance company.
Let’s say you are demanding compensation for neck and back injuries that you suffered in a car accident. If you post pictures of yourself playing baseball weeks after the accident, the insurance company could use that to argue that you’re not as hurt as you claim to be. If they succeed, your claim could be reduced or even dismissed.
How to Protect Your Personal Injury Claim
There are simple ways to prevent insurance companies from collecting evidence from your social media accounts. Here are some tips:
- Limit what you post: Don’t mention anything related to your accident or injuries online. That includes posting status updates, photos, or any other information about the claim. This is important while your case is underway, but also after you’ve settled. According to CNN, a man had an $80,000 settlement revoked after his daughter boasted about the award on Facebook. That’s because she violated the terms of the confidential settlement agreement.
- Adjust your privacy settings: Restrict access to the highest privacy setting possible.
- Ask friends and family not to post any pictures of you: Tell them that you are in the middle of legal proceedings and that something they share could inadvertently hurt your claim.
- Review your list of “friends”: Don’t accept friend requests from names you don’t recognize. It could be an adjuster trying to access your information.
How Can Social Media Impact My Car Accident Claim?
Social media platforms can have a major impact on the outcome of a crash claim, either positively or negatively. Insurers often use evidence obtained from social media to assess accidents and claims, evaluating victims’ posts over time to build an accurate narrative in regards to the damages sustained.
Some claimants have even been denied coverage for failing to accurately portray their physical capabilities prior to the accident on their social media accounts. With this in mind, it’s important for claimants to be aware of how their posts may be used when filing a crash claim.
Claimants should be mindful of portraying activities that contradict the severity of their injuries if they would like to receive maximum financial compensation. Making wise decisions online while also providing accurate information will increase the chances that your claim is successful.
Insurance Adjusters Use Social Media to Minimize or Deny Claims
In the age of social media, insurance companies are using the immense amounts of information available online to anticipate, quantify, and minimize crash claims on behalf of the policyholder. Claim adjusters now look up an involved party’s social media accounts to see if they can evaluate their actions pre and post-crash in order to use this data against them during claims negotiations.
Even when a victim has a legitimate claim, some adjusters deny or reduce its worth through the misuse of this tool. It is important to be aware of how social media can be used in this manner as it could severely reduce the amount that one is owed after an unfortunate car accident.
Social Media Shows a History of Injuries or Actions
Following a crash, insurance adjusters often look at social media to determine any past injuries or actions of a claimant in order to influence the amount of payout. This tactic can prove especially devastating for claimants who already suffer from major medical issues that can be further complicated by documented lifestyle choices.
Hurt? Let Stewart Law Offices Fight for the Compensation You’re Owed
Stewart Law Offices is an accomplished personal injury firm serving clients in South Carolina and North Carolina. For more than three decades, our team of experienced trial lawyers has demanded — and won — full and fair compensations for thousands of injured people just like you.
Schedule a free consultation with a South Carolina personal injury lawyer today. Stewart Law Offices has locations in Rock Hill, Spartanburg, Columbia, and Beaufort, S.C.**and Charlotte, N.C.
Don’t wait another minute to get on the path to justice. Call or contact us now for your free case review.
