Social media has become a huge part of modern society. People use social media to stay connected to friends and family, to post pictures of their adventures, to post pictures of their delicious recipes, to share articles, to spread awareness about pressing issues, to share beloved videos, and so on.
If you’re like most people, at the bare minimum you have a Facebook and Instagram account. You may even have a Snapchat and LinkedIn account. If you’re in the habit of checking your social media feeds daily or if you post on a regular basis, it’s important for you to understand how your social media posts can impact your personal injury claim.
Your Pictures Can Contradict You
If you’re in the middle of a personal injury case, you have to be very careful about the types of pictures that you post. For example, suppose you were in a car accident and you are claiming whiplash injuries and spinal cord injuries. However, two weeks after the accident, you post pictures of you having a couple of drinks at a bar with friends and then the next day, you post pictures of you at Carowinds.
What these pictures indicate is you having a blast, so surely you can’t be that hurt or even hurt at all. What the pictures don’t depict is how you were in a lot of pain at the bar, so much that you didn’t want to mix your pain meds with alcohol so you only ordered a coke.
Then, you took your kids to Carowinds because you promised you would for your son’s 13th birthday. What the picture on Facebook and Instagram doesn’t show is that you didn’t step on one ride that day. You were in screaming pain and wondered if you’d ever be able to ride the Carolina Cyclone or Copperhead Strike ever again.
But I Really am Hurt
Even if your injuries are legitimate, your social media posts can say otherwise to the insurance adjusters and many times, they’re looking for any excuse to deny a claim. If your social posts contradict that you’re hurt in any way, they can be used as ammunition.
You may think that setting your privacy settings to “private” would protect you, but that’s not reliable. An adjuster can easily send you a friend or follow request and you can accept it without knowing who it really is.
Then, everything you post is theirs for the taking. People can also screenshot your posts and send them to the insurance company, so it’s just better to err on the side of caution. Before you post anything, think to yourself, “Can this be taken the wrong way? Can the insurance company take this pic out of context and use it against me?”
Injured in a car accident? Contact our firm to get your claim started!