It may be tempting to tell everyone about the tragedy of your injuries on your Facebook account, but discussion of your car accident claim on social media could ruin your settlement. Before you tweet about your recovery progress or the severity of your injuries, take time to think about what the insurance company might think if an adjuster reads your social media posts.
When you are seeking a settlement for serious damages through a car accident claim, the last thing you want to do is make the insurance company think you're lying. Meanwhile, the insurance adjusters are often working to find any sort of evidence that suggests your damages are not as serious as you claim.
In today's digital society, where nearly everyone is sharing personal thoughts and stories on social media, your social media profiles are often one of the first places insurance companies look for evidence to devalue your car accident claim.
Examples of How Insurers May Turn Social Media Against You
If you have an active social media life, your first inclination after
you've recovered from the crash may be to update your status informing everyone of the accident but assuring them that you're going to be okay. While this may help alleviate your friends' concerns for your well being, it will also make the insurance company question whether you really are seriously injured.
Even events from your past can come back to haunt you. When insurance companies are watching your social media accounts, they don't always look at every detail of your posts. If you suddenly post pictures from your kayak trip last summer when you are supposed to be on sick leave from work with a fractured pelvis, the insurance adjuster will see images of you being healthy and active and may infer that you're lying about your injuries.
This may cause a sudden denial of your claim, after which you will have to appeal and show that those images were from a past trip and you really are seriously injured.
Safe Social Media Practices While Pursuing a Car Accident Claim
The best way to prevent insurers from using your social media accounts against you is to refrain from posting at all. If you don’t want to take this advice then at the least keep your information brief and completely factual. Don't let emotions get the best of you; avoid ranting about the accident or the insurance company.
Set your account security to friends and family only, and be wary of friend requests from strangers. Insurance agents may pose as alternate personas in an effort to access your account for more information. Do not accept friend or follow requests from your insurance adjuster, even though he or she may be concerned and friendly and just wanting to establish a better working relationship.
Because your relationship is purely professional, your adjuster has no business sending you a personal connection request on any of your social accounts.
The bottom line is that social media is not an absolutely necessary resource to discuss your car accident claim. It's best to keep all details about the accident, your injuries, and the progress claim to yourself. Even after settlement, refrain from bragging about your compensation. Remember, the less you say, the better off your car accident claim will be.
