Social media can be a very useful platform to stay connected to the world around us. There are a million reasons why you might want to talk about a car accident on social media.
You might be trying to let friends and family know that you’re safe, or you might just be venting about the stressful experience. But you should be mindful of the information you’re sharing with the world, and the ways that some people might take advantage of it.
Posting about your car accident on social media is an invitation for insurance companies and attorneys to use your own words to cast doubt on your claim for compensation.
Even posts that have nothing to do with the car accident could be used against you. At Wright & Gray Personal Injury Firm, our New Orleans car wreck attorneys have seen situations like this time and again.
Read on to find out why social media posts can be so harmful to a car accident case, and what you can do to avoid it. Whether you’re just trying to get your insurance company to cover the damages to your car, or you’re suing another driver for personal injuries, posting about your car accident on social media can be a liability. Insurance adjusters and defense attorneys will be scouring the internet for anything they can use to dispute your claim.
Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Post About Your Car Accident on Social Media
Here are a few examples of how your social media posts could be used against you:
- They might be interpreted as an admission of fault: Any statement that you make about the accident can be misconstrued in one way or another. That’s why our Louisiana car accident attorneys always recommend that you speak as little as possible to the other driver or their insurance company. On social media, that problem is amplified. For example, an innocent joke about driving habits could be twisted to sound like your poor driving was the cause of the accident in question.
- They might be used to dispute your injuries: Even if you don’t talk about your car accident on social media directly, other posts may be used against you. If you’re suing someone for your personal injuries, they might use information about your physical activities as evidence that your injuries aren’t as serious as you claim. For example, if you have a back injury, an Instagram selfie at the gym could be a serious strike against you.
- They might be used to dispute your losses: Any pictures of the damage to your car or the scene of the accident are definitely not a good idea to post on the internet. It’s good to have as much of that kind of evidence as you can to use to support your claim, but posting before you’ve discussed it with your personal injury attorney can end up coming back to bite you.
- They might be used to claim you didn’t suffer emotional distress: While it should be obvious that you can’t get an accurate psychological diagnosis from someone’s Facebook profile, that won’t stop some people from trying. If you’re seeking damages for emotional distress, a timeline full of posts about how much fun you had on your camping trip might not help your claim. It’s not fair, but when you post about a car accident on social media every move you make could be scrutinized.
Luckily, there are some things you can do to prevent any damage to your case before it even begins. After you’ve gotten to a safe place and exchanged insurance information with the other driver, here’s what to do immediately after an accident:
- Take pictures of the scene
- Write down your recollection of the accident, including anything you and the other driver said
- Don’t talk to the other driver anymore than you need to
- Go to the doctor, whether you feel injured or not
- Make all of your social media profiles private
- Don’t add any new friends or followers
- If possible, avoid posting anything until you’ve spoken with your New Orleans attorney
Taking these precautionary steps will help prevent the other party from using your stray comments or social media posts against your claim. The best way to prevent this from happening, however, is by talking your case over with an experienced car accident attorney. An attorney with years of practice in car accident claims will be able to guide you through the process and provide advice on what you should or shouldn’t post about your car accident on social media.
Our team at Wright Gray has the knowledge and experience to make sure your claim is airtight, and help you receive the compensation you deserve. Contact us today for a free consultation.