Social media has become a vital part of our everyday lives. From posting
about your day on Facebook to sharing pictures of your most decadent food
dishes on Snapchat, we are constantly using social media to communicate
with our friends, family, and followers. Your social media account is
essentially a record of your public activity, which is why it is important
to be cautious with the information you choose to share. This is particularly
true if you’ve been injured in an accident.
Don’t Post Anything About Your Accident
Remember, the internet is forever. Just because you’ve deleted something
on an account doesn’t mean it’s not publicly available. Anything
you might post on the web can be used as evidence against you in court.
In fact, screenshots of social media posts have brought down countless
accident claims. Keep the details of
your injury between your attorney and yourself. Uploading videos and photos of your
injury or accident is not a good idea. The same goes for comments you
or your friends may post on social media. You should also tell your friends
not to post about you on their personal accounts. Comments made by followers
or friends can potentially be used against you. A photo of you appearing
to be active could harm your claim, even if the image was unknowingly taken.
Manage Your Social Media Content
Review your friends list after you’ve been in an accident. Be on
the lookout for friends you might not know personally or maybe even distrust.
Delete these people from your social media accounts until your case is
over. While your case is pending, don’t accept friend requests from
people you don’t know. Increasing your privacy settings is another
way to help keep insurers from accessing your information. Although this
won’t limit all access by outside parties, it can help to limit
past, present, or future information that might hurt your claim.
These are just a few of the ways to protect your personal information from
prying eyes. Following these precautions can help limit evidence from
being uncovered by insurance companies that want to protect their own
interests. It is best to avoid posting to social media altogether after
you’ve been in an accident.
Have you been injured in a car accident? Are your social media posts being used against you? Call (888) 305-6372 or contact our Long Island personal injury lawyers
to find out what our team can do for you.