Do Not Talk About an Accident on Social Media

In the aftermath of an accident resulting in personal injuries, posts you make on social media can end up hurting your case.

For many people, social media is a regular part of daily life. They check their accounts first thing in the morning and post status updates, pictures, or videos throughout the day. While it can provide a way for you to stay in touch with friends or family and to keep them informed about your life and activities, posting your private business online can work against you in a variety of ways. In addition to potentially compromising your personal safety and financial security, it can hurt your case if you have suffered accidental injuries and are seeking compensation in a claim. Social media is one of the first place investigators look for information to use against you. The following provides tips to help you protect yourself.

The Role of Social Media in Personal Injury Claims

If you are involved in a car accident or other type of mishap resulting in personal injuries, you may be entitled to compensation through an insurance claim. In these situations, it is important to recognize that insurance companies are for-profit businesses. One of the ways they protect their profits is by denying or downplaying your claim.

If an insurance investigator can blame you for being even partially at fault for an accident or if they can dispute the severity of your injuries, it can reduce the amount you receive in a settlement. According to Edmunds, one of the first places insurance investigators look in reviewing car accidents or other types of claims is social media. Information they may be able to glean through your posts include:

• Details you failed to mention about the accident or your activities in the hours before it happened;
• Background information on your driving abilities or other hobbies and behaviors which they can use against you in your case;
• Pictures and videos showing you engaged in activities which contradict the severity of your injuries or the impacts they have on other areas of your life.

In cases where an insurance claim is denied and a personal injury lawsuit is filed, Forbes warns that social media posts are increasingly being used as evidence in court.

How to Handle Social Media While Your Accident Claim is Being Resolved

If you regularly post on social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, you need to be aware of how these sites can impact your accident claim. To protect yourself, follow these tips:

• Refrain from posting personal information.
• Change your social media settings to private, so that only approved friends or followers can access your posts.
• Remove yourself from any tagged pictures or posts.
• Consider temporarily disabling your account until your claim is resolved.

Get Legal Guidance from Our Manchester Accident Attorney

At Burch, Morrison, & Stewart, we provide professional legal guidance and aggressive representation to help you get the compensation you need to recover when accidents occur. To request a consultation regarding your case, contact our Manchester personal injury attorneys today.