Social Media During Cleveland Personal Injury Claim

How Social Media Can Impact Your Claim

If you are claiming compensation for injuries in a car accident, then you may believe that your medical records should provide adequate proof of your injury. That is not necessarily true.  Your insurer can use the pictures that you post on your Instagram or Facebook page of you dancing at a party, or playing with your children, to claim that your injuries are not as serious as you claim. Some insurers might even try to use a picture of you taking a walk to claim your back injury is not as disabling as you make it out to be. This may have just been a short walk to the mailbox but insurance adjusters may try to exaggerate its significance. It's not just comments that you make, or pictures that you post on your accounts that can provide incriminating evidence. Even your friends’ comments can get you in trouble. For instance, if your friends comment on an old skydiving picture, calling you a “daredevil” or remarking about how brave you are, an insurer might take those comments from your friends to claim that you are a person who likes taking risks, and therefore, contributed to your own injuries in the accident. Deleting pictures and posts from your page after realizing your mistake may not help. An insurer could easily take screenshot images of the page, providing all the evidence that the company needs.

Social Media Could Even Affect Your Case after Settling

Social media use can derail your claim not just during the settlement process, but even after a settlement has been reached.  If you have reached a confidential settlement, don’t post details of the settlement on your social media accounts.  Members of your family also need to be equally careful about what they post about your injury claim. Boasting about the amount you received could result in a dismissal of the car accident settlement based on your violation of the terms of the agreement.

Avoid the Social Media Pitfalls during Your Claim

Social media can be littered with pitfalls while your car accident claim is still pending. It's often best to simply deactivate and stop using social media accounts during your personal injury claim until you reach a settlement, or the case is resolved.  If you refuse to do so, assume that the insurance company is going to read and view everything you post and every action you take. Ensure that family members are also discreet in their social media use. For help recovering compensation for injuries and damages sustained in a car accident, call Ryan, LLP in Cleveland at 877-864-9495, or fill out the online consultation form for a free evaluation of your case. About the author of this article: Thomas Ryan