Now that we live in the age of social media, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are among the most popular platforms for connecting with friends and family. In fact, 3.78 BILLION people interact within social media platforms every day! Whether it's vacation photos, wedding announcements, or work updates, it seems everything is shared on social media.
Unfortunately, the unintended consequences of oversharing on social outlets can be serious for the well being of your personal injury case. When you've been injured in a vehicle accident, workplace accident, or other type of accident, you may be tempted to share updates about your condition online, however doing so could end up costing you. Below are some of the ways to tackle social media after having been involved in an accident.
General Tips & Tricks to Avoid Social Media
When it comes to posting on social media after an accident, insurance companies and other parties involved could use your posts against you. As insurance adjusters are often searching for any excuse to reduce or eliminate payments to accident victims, they tend to do so by gathering evidence to support the claim that injuries are either exaggerated or nonexistent. With so many people sharing intimate details about their lives online, social media posts can negatively affect your compensation and case.
After an accident, your social media accounts may be accessed by the insurance company's attorneys. Your injury claim might be undermined by photos, conversations, or status updates posted on these social media accounts. By keeping your social media accounts quiet and to avoid your posts from being used against you, you can help prevent setbacks in your personal injury case from insurance companies.
Avoid Deleting Past Posts
After an accident, don’t delete anything on your social media accounts. The destruction of potential evidence can often affect your lawsuit even more severely than posting new content. Following an accident, it is important to preserve the current postings on your social media accounts. If necessary, consult your lawyer about how to archive your posts safely and properly.
Deactivate or Privatize Your Account
If you feel that you won’t be able to temporarily avoid your social media accounts after an accident, temporarily deactivating your accounts until your case is over could be a good option for you. Be sure to discuss the best course of action for you with your personal injury lawyer. With a deactivated account, you’ll still want to communicate with friends and family to not post about you.
In order to avoid content outside of your own from being used against you, ask friends or family to refrain from posting any pictures about you on their accounts after an accident. You can also opt to improve your privacy settings, but only allow personal friends to access your info. You may also wish to change your settings so that you are not searchable. This can help to ensure your accounts are not easily accessible to the public eye and will avoid any issues within your injury case.
Keep Track of Tagged Posts
Similarly, after an accident, you should try to only allow friends or acquaintances that you know well to follow you or have access to your content. Try to refrain from adding friends on Facebook or followers on Instagram TikTok or Twitter unless you know them well and trust them.
Like we said earlier, posts from others can also be used against you. With that in mind, keep an eye on any tagged photos, posts, or videos where your claim could be lessened. If you have taken the proper steps and precautions to only connect with those whom you trust online, you can greatly increase your chances of winning your case.
Avoid Chat Groups
Including social media posts, after an accident, you’ll want to avoid joining websites or chat groups. Any information that you interact with online can make you highly searchable. You’ll want to avoid entering any information on dating, insurance websites, or participating in any groups or chats on platforms such as Facebook, Reddit, or even Pinterest.
If you must post on social media after an accident, PLEASE post with care. You will want to avoid discussing anything related to your accident, or anything that could compromise your injury claim. A professional personal injury lawyer can help you take the best course of action for your unique case.
