Hurt in a Car Accident? Don’t Make These Common Mistakes on Social Media

From sharing recipes to planning parties, social media makes it easy to engage your friends and loved ones for virtually any reason. If you were recently hurt in a car accident, you may even be inclined to post updates about your recovery and seek love, support, and encouragement in the process.

Should you plan on taking action against the at-fault motorist, however, remaining active on social media could be a mistake. Insurance adjusters will look for any reason to challenge a claimant’s credibility, and monitoring their social media feeds often provides the evidence needed to do so.

Since there’s no way to be certain how the photos and statuses you post could be interpreted and, subsequently, used against you, it’s best to disable your profiles until your claim has been resolved; however, if you cannot do so, there are ways to reduce the risk of jeopardizing your case.

As long as you avoid the following mistakes, for example, your claim shouldn’t be threatened by your online activity:

1. Posting About the Accident

If friends or loved ones reach out on social media and ask what happened, avoid divulging too much information online. Should you post something that turns out to be inaccurate, it will open the door for the insurance adjuster to scrutinize your entire claim.

2. Posting About Your Injuries

Discussing the extent of your injuries or the progress of your recovery on social media could essentially “lock in” your total damages. If the insurance adjuster were able to access posts about your injuries, they would inevitably cross-check them with your medical records. And if you happened to downplay the severity of your condition online—which you might be inclined to do so as not to worry your friends or family—they will use such posts to devalue your claim. 

3. Posting About Your Expenditures or Outings

Sustaining unanticipated injuries is enough to threaten most people’s financial security. If your social media feed indicates otherwise, however, the insurance adjuster will likely challenge the damages you’re seeking. As such, it’s best to avoid posting anything that gives the impression you have plenty of disposal income. Whether it’s a new car or a trip to see loved ones, talking about major expenditures on your profiles could hurt your credibility.

The same goes for outings. If you claim that your injuries hinder mobility, you don’t want to publish photos or statuses of you partaking in physically demanding activities like hiking. At the end of the day, even something as innocuous as going to brunch with friends could give the insurance adjuster reason to question the extent of your injuries.

Call (727) 821-1500 to Discuss Your Case with a Florida Car Accident Lawyer

If you were seriously hurt in a motor-vehicle collision and you want to hold the liable party accountable, turn to Emerson Straw. We’ll use all the resources at our disposal to investigate the circumstances surrounding the crash and then gather the evidence needed to pursue the maximum payout possible. To schedule a free case review with a car accident attorney in Florida, call (727) 821-1500 or fill out our Contact Form.