If you’ve been injured, it’s only natural to want to reach out to your social network for support and to assure them that you’re okay. Before you click “Post,” however, you should learn if your Twitter account can end up harming your personal injury claim. So, can you talk about your personal injury claim or accident on social media? In short—no. Here’s why.
Social Media Is Monitored By Insurance Companies
If you’ve been injured in an accident, and have filed a claim with your insurance or the responsible party’s insurance, you’ll need to be on your best behavior to avoid harming your claim. Insurance companies are businesses, and they will do everything they legally can to avoid business expenses—like paying out your claim. This means that you can count on them to try and see your social media feeds and scour your accounts for evidence that your injuries aren’t as serious as you’ve claimed.
What can you do to protect your claim? Clam up! Don’t post about your accident, and certainly don’t post any activity that could lead an insurance company or jury to believe that maybe you aren’t’ as hurt as claimed.
What social media activities should you avoid for your claim’s sake? Try these:
- Posting or sharing information about your accident, injury, or claim. This includes an “I’m okay, everybody!” post, replying to a friend’s comment with news about the accident, or posting pictures. If you absolutely need to say something, you can ask your attorney for help. They’re likely to advise a neutral statement along the lines of, “I can confirm I have been involved in an accident, but I can’t comment on it while my personal injury claim is still pending.”
- Posting pictures of or check-ins to activities, parties, venues, events, and other outings. If you look like you still have a busy social life, insurance companies may question just how long your recovery took, or whether you were truly injured in the first place.
- Letting friends tag you in any posts. Even if you have done your best to protect your claim, your friends may still undo your hard work on accident. Ask them not to tag you in any posts until after your claim is done. You may also be able to set privacy settings that require your approval before being tagged. Use them!
- Leaving your privacy settings public. Now is the time to be shy. Restrict your accounts to Friends Only, and don’t accept friend requests from anyone you don’t know personally. It isn’t unheard of for insurance agents to friend you or your friends and family to look at your posts.
Your social media behaviors can affect your claim greatly. It’s worth remembering that your social media records can be used as evidence in court should your claim go to litigation. With this in mind, your lawyer can be an extremely valuable help to understand how to protect your claim. Don’t be afraid to ask them for advice, since it makes their job easier when you are working with them to defend your claim.
If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident, don’t hesitate to get the assistance you need. Our experienced York personal injuryattorneys are here to guide you through the injury claim process, and we’ll be by your side every step of the way. Schedule a case evaluation to discuss your claim with our team at Ilkhanoff & Silverstein.
Contact our team by calling (717) 744-0531.