What Not to Do On Social Media While Pursuing a Car Accident Claim

November 15, 2013

It’s becoming more common for insurance companies to investigate car accident claims using social media. Insurance companies may use what you post online to determine not only the validity of a claim but the circumstances surrounding what caused the accident and the extent of injuries. Posting the wrong thing on social media could ruin your claim.

Don’t tweet or post online about the accident or injuries.

Emotions oftentimes get the best of people when they’ve been involved in an accident. It takes just a few seconds to rant about it on Facebook or another social media outlet. However, this can backfire. It’s best to say nothing—or as little as possible—about an accident or injuries.

Don’t post pictures.

Words can be twisted. Pictures can also end up damaging a claim. Telling the insurance company that before the accident you were a healthy, active person and now can’t move off the couch will raise red flags if there are pictures that show otherwise; for instance, claiming a debilitating back injury but then posting photos of you playing basketball.

Don’t assume your settings are private.

Considering the constant updates to Facebook’s privacy settings, it can become a full-time job keeping your information private. Of course, you can’t control what other people post. Even if you lock down the ability for other people to post on your wall, they can change their own privacy settings.

Don’t post on other people’s social media accounts.

So, you may check that a friend’s update is private and feel comfortable saying ‘thanks’ for a great party last night, and then find later that your friend got so many likes on the update that he or she should make it public. Now the insurance company knows you felt well enough to visit a party last night. In some cases, someone might tag you in a picture. Skip the headache and turn it all off.

Social media can ruin a car accident claim in so many different ways. Learning how to properly use it could make a significant difference in the outcome of your case. See our free eBook, Consumer’s Guide for Injured Victims, for more information about how to protect your claim.