Social media platforms have made life easier to connect with others. With roughly 2.89 billion active users each month, Facebook continues to be one of the most widely used social media platforms globally.
When you file a claim to recover financial compensation after an accident, you should be highly cautious about what you put up for the world to see. Even if you don’t mean to cause any issues, anything you post can and will get used against you to weaken your case. Our lawyers can explain how and why insurance companies use Facebook to their advantage.
Why Do Insurance Companies Check Facebook?
Insurance companies follow personal injury victims because they want to see if their claims are valid. This makes sense for cases where insurance fraud may be possible, but ultimately this is just a way for the insurance company to nitpick someone’s life so they can pay less towards a settlement.
While hiring a private investigator is standard practice, insurance companies will check Facebook as well. Unfortunately, there are plenty of instances where personal injury victims post too much about their case or potentially conflicting evidence which eventually gets used against them. This puts their ability to win a settlement in jeopardy.
Due to comparative fault laws in most states, if an insurance company can show that you were more than 50% responsible for your own accident, you won’t be able to file a claim. By scouring your social media and using potentially questionable posts, it’s possible they can prevent you from filing a claim altogether.
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How an Innocent Facebook Post Can Work Against You
Let’s say that you were involved in a car accident. You are injured, in pain, and your day-to-day life has been affected. However, you continue to participate in daily activities and events as much as you can, and you put on a brave smile when posing for pictures at your nephew’s birthday party.
You share the pictures on social media, and viewers who are not close with you might naturally construe that you are okay, that your day-to-day life has not been compromised, and that you were not injured. What your post doesn’t show them is that this particular night out ended early because you were in severe pain and just had to go home and lie down.
The post also does not show how disrupted your life is by constant doctor and rehab appointments. It doesn’t show the financial straits you’re in from lost wages due to regularly leaving work for doctor appointments or because of chronic pain.
Who Has Access to Your Facebook Posts?
This is an important question because your insurance company could be monitoring your accounts to findr information they could use to deny or devalue your claim.
Investigators are now turning to Facebook and other social media platforms because these have turned out to be the cheapest and easiest form of private investigation out there. There’s no need to have long stakeouts and follow someone all day when social media tells them everything they need to know.
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Important Tips When Using Facebook After an Accident
Here are several tips our lawyers recommend that you follow after an accident:
- Set your Facebook account to private rather than public. Ensure only friends can see your photos and posts.
- Only communicate with friends and family. Once your case settles, you can go back to posting as you see fit.
- Refuse all friend requests from people you do not know or don’t know well. This may be an insurance representative or private investigator trying to gain access to your account.
- Avoid posting any information about your accident, your health, or your communication with your attorney. Your communication with your attorney is privileged, but if you regularly post about it, you could be waiving that privilege.
- Remove anything from your personal profiles on social media that may get construed as inappropriate or that could cast you in a bad light.
If all this is too much, take a break from social media! Facebook, Twitter, and other major social media platforms aren’t going anywhere.
While fighting for a settlement, you need to be on your best behavior. Don’t assume the insurance companies won’t use anything and everything against you during this time.
A Lawyer Can Help You Protect Your Privacy
It can be extremely challenging to try and manage your life after an accident. When you file a claim, you come under even more scrutiny. Our lawyers can help you by:
- Providing you with methods to maintain your privacy
- Ensure that you act accordingly while negotiating for a settlement
- Handling all of your communications with other parties
- Reviewing all of your social media accounts and ensuring they get kept away from the public eye
- Representing you and your best interests at all times
Our lawyers will help you get through this challenging time by being there for you every step of the way. Let us handle all of the work while you rest, recover, and focus on healing.
Talk to Our Experienced Lawyers Today for Help
Morris Bart, LLC has experienced and dedicated lawyers ready to help you maintain your privacy and protect your case’s integrity. For a no-risk consultation at zero cost or obligation to you, please contact us online or over the phone 24/7. Don’t hesitate to reach out to us today.
Questions?Call 800-537-8185
to find a Morris Bart office near you.
