Why Posting on Social Media After an Accident Can Hurt Your Case
Posted on Monday, November 1st, 2021 at 12:11 pm
The physical and emotional effects you may suffer as a result of being injured in an accident that wasn’t your fault can seriously alter your life for the foreseeable future. You deserve compensation for your injuries and the impact that they’ve had on your life.
To increase your chances of obtaining compensation for your accident-related injuries, there are several actions that you should take and some actions that you should refrain from taking. For example, you should hire an experienced accident attorney. After your accident, however, you should refrain from posting on social media. Doing so could reduce your ability to get the compensation you deserve.
The Claims Process and How You May Be Compensated
If you’ve been injured in an accident through no fault of your own, you have the right to seek compensation from the person who injured you. To initiate your pursuit for compensation, you or your attorney will have to file a claim with the insurance company of the person who caused the accident. If you purchased MedPay coverage on your own insurance policy, you may submit your medical bills through that insurance. Your attorney can explain the details.
In some cases, the insurance company may offer you a fair settlement for your injuries. In other cases, the insurance company may not be willing to compensate you fairly or they may deny your claim altogether. If this happens, a skilled and prepared accident attorney will file a lawsuit against the at-fault party on your behalf. This will initiate court proceedings and a trial to determine whether you will be awarded compensation for your injuries. If you are awarded compensation, the court will also decide the amount you’ll receive.
After the accident, insurance companies will likely try to contact you to gather a statement as part of their investigation into the accident. If you hire an accident attorney, which is advised, your attorney will also investigate the accident to determine what caused the accident. This information is vital to support your claim.
Before pursuing compensation, it’s important to understand the goal of insurance companies in accident claims.
Even though insurance companies are generally beneficial because they provide us with certain protections, they strive to maximize their profits. When you submit a claim to be compensated for your injuries, insurance company representatives will begin an investigation into the accident. Their objective is to find anything that they believe is evidence that you may share some responsibility for the accident. They use this evidence as an excuse to either significantly reduce the amount of compensation you may be paid or to completely deny paying you any sum of money.
Your Social Media Posts Can Hurt Your Claim. Why?
One of the primary pieces of evidence that insurance companies will try to use against you is any statement you provide to them. This is why you’re advised not to speak to insurance company adjusters – employees at the company who investigate your claim. Another piece of evidence that insurance adjusters will try to gather is information that you voluntarily provide on your social media accounts.
Insurance adjusters will search your social media accounts for any information that may contradict what you’ve stated in your claim. For example, suppose you are seeking compensation for severe leg injuries you sustained in an accident, and you claim that those injuries have affected your mobility and ability to walk. An insurance adjuster searches one of your social media accounts and finds that you made a post including a picture of you enjoying your day bike riding at the park. The insurance adjuster will use this evidence to show that your injuries are not as severe as you claimed, and they will question the veracity of your claim.
Or, suppose that you made a social media post about the accident. In that post, you say you’re feeling sorry that the accident happened. An insurance adjuster may view this social media post as evidence that you’re admitting guilt for the accident. This can seriously hurt your claim because they may reduce your compensation. In Ohio, if you are found to be more responsible for the accident than the other party, you won’t be entitled to compensation at all.
To preserve your right to obtain compensation for your accident injuries and to help ensure that your claim is strong as possible, you shouldn’t post anything on social media after your accident.
Call the Highly Skilled Attorneys at Lawrence & Associates Accident and Injury Lawyers, LLC Today
If you’ve been seriously injured in an accident due to someone’s negligent actions, contact Lawrence & Associates Accident and Injury Lawyers, LLC. We’ve spent over 15 years helping accident victims pursue fair compensation for their injuries. Call us today at (513) 351-5997 or complete our contact form online for a free case consultation.
