These days it’s a simple force of habit to pull out your phone and vent online by sharing your daily experiences on social media. A major event like a Virginia car accident seems like the sort of thing you’d want to tell your friends and family about immediately on Facebook or Twitter. Unfortunately, that can cause unforeseen problems when trying to recover compensation for an injury.
Why You Shouldn’t Post About Your Accident on Social Media
Insurance adjusters will often look for ways to avoid a payout for your injury. That’s why you should resist the urge to discuss the accident online in any way. Any public communication about the crash may be twisted to imply you are partially or fully at fault.
Photos or videos of you performing any kind of physical activity can further be misconstrued and used against your claim. Even something as simple as a family photograph where you hold up a baby or a video from a get-together where you throw a ball can be used to imply you aren’t actually injured.
Posts and photos aren’t the only concern, either. Automatic location check-in apps may throw a stumbling block in the way of your compensation. Checking in anywhere that implies you are engaging in physical activity, like a ball field, indoor rock climbing facility, or bowling alley, can be used against you by insurance adjusters.
Even older posts from well before the accident may come into play, as the at-fault party may search through past photos to claim your injury was actually caused by a previous incident.
How to Protect Yourself on Social Media After a Virginia Car Accident
Leaving social media completely usually isn’t a viable option, but there are some concrete steps you can take while seeking a personal injury claim against a negligent driver:
- Do not post anything about the accident
- Never accept new friend requests from people you don’t personally know after initiating a negligent accident claim
- Refrain from posting any new photos of yourself
- Request that your family and friends refrain from posting about the accident
- Set your profile to private or “friends-only”
Unfortunately, even making your account private doesn’t always fully protect you. Make sure to speak to a Virginia car accident lawyer who has experience in auto crash cases for further information on how to protect your right to compensation.
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