Social media is often used to share the greatest moments with the viewers, whether it be a wedding, a basketball game with your children, or even just a nice brisk walk at the park. It’s also used as a platform to get something off of your chest or to share a difficult time in your life in hopes of getting emotional support. Without a doubt, social media could be a great way to share what you’re thinking and feeling with your online community. But in the realm of personal injury, what you share could negatively affect the value of your claim.
If you’ve been involved in a car accident by no fault of your own, you may want to think twice before publishing anything about it. We’ve seen it before, a client seeks legal assistance after being hit by a negligent driver. Unbeknownst to us, the client posted pictures immediately after the accident with a caption describing how they were so lucky to have walked away without a scratch, injury free. Remember, injuries often present themselves days after the accident. Sometimes they describe the facts of the case in the post or unknowingly admit fault even when they’re not actually legally responsible. Yes, venting our frustrations has proven to be therapeutic and healthy for our well-being, but social media may not be the best outlet after an accident.
Why Shouldn’t You Post About Your Accident?
Insurance adjusters are trained to find ways to devalue and even reject your claim for injuries. They’re trained to gather and investigate the facts of your accident, assess the veracity of your claim, and negotiate you down as low as possible.
One of the ways they gather and investigate the facts of your accident is by looking at what you post on your social media. Social media provides insurance adjusters with valuable information, as it’s a reliable source of what you’re doing and thinking in real-time. In fact, checking social media accounts have become one of the first things insurance adjusters look into to see if what you claim corroborates with what you post. Are you really as hurt as you say you are? Are you posting anything that would relieve their driver of liability? Why are you going rock climbing the day after the car accident?
How Should You Use Social Media After a Car Accident?
We suggest that you follow these three pieces of advice in regards to social media and your car accident:
1. Don’t add a new friend/follower that you don’t know. This new person asking to be your friend could actually be an insurance adjuster.
2. Set your page on private. It’s best to limit public access to your page. Remember, the more private you are, the less scrutiny you open yourself to.
3. Don’t post anything. To play it safe, don’t post anything at all, especially about your car accident. This is exactly what insurance adjusters are looking for.
If you’ve been involved in an accident, contact Mercado & Sacramento, PC at (510) 340-4LAW.