Social media is an enjoyable outlet for many people, where they can share photos and interests and chat to others. However, for an individual who has been injured in a car accident, sharing details of that accident can have negative repercussions. A few tips can help avoid problems that might potentially arise, and advice from personal accident lawyers in Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton or West Palm Beach may be invaluable.
Check Your Facebook Security Settings
Some people do not realize that without using the privacy settings on Facebook or using caution when posting on this or other social media sites such as Instagram or Twitter, this information may be used against you by an insurance carrier when trying to settle a car accident injury case. On a site such as Facebook, changing the security settings to friends only is a good idea.
Don’t Accept Friend Requests From Your Insurance Company
Even though an individual thinks they are on good terms with their insurance agent, it is not a good idea to accept a friend request from your agent or anyone connected with the company. Because adjusters are required to investigate claims, accepting a friend request may provide more access to your Facebook account than is acceptable.
Insurance Adjusters Follow Social Media
Insurance adjusters regularly follow social media to see if claims following an accident have been exaggerated since this can affect the settlement. Following an accident you may be inclined to share this information with friends and followers on social media. You might even be tempted to post photos. While your friends might be relieved to hear that you are recuperating, posting this type of information can adversely affect your settlement and might be used against you to show that you were not as seriously injured as presented. Agents look for reasons to lower settlement amounts or even deny a claim by getting a tactical advantage.
Clean Up Social Media Sites
One piece of advice following an accident is to check your social media sites and clean them up. However, this may be construed negatively because even deleted photos and posts can be recovered. The best advice is to ask your personal accident lawyers what to do before deleting photos and posts.
What Insurance Adjusters Check
According to Claims Journal, a website for those in the insurance field, the types of posts adjusters can look for on social media include photos, activities, background information such as habits and character and relationship with witnesses. At a claims conference held in Long Beach, it was said investigation of social media sites is a required part of the process. Following your accident, posting information about how well your injuries are healing might be meant to calm worries of friends and family, but the insurance adjuster can use this information, true or false, to show that you were overplaying your injuries.
Management of Social Media After an Accident
The best advice on social media postings following an accident is to refrain from posting about your accident at all. You may want to stop posting all together until after your case is settled. Once again, consult with your attorney about this issue.
Contacting Personal Accident Lawyers
An individual who has been injured in a motor vehicle accident may have spare time while recuperating and be tempted to share news of the accident with friends and family on social media. However, this may not be in the injured person’s best interest. It can be a good idea to have expert personal accident lawyers in your corner to protect your interests. Kaiser Romanello is experienced in accident injuries and can advise you about the use of social media while involved in a lawsuit or an insurance claim that will cover your medical costs, lost time at work, and other expenses associated with the accident. Contact us to discuss your case and our attorneys can answer any questions you might have.
