If you file a personal injury claim after a vehicle accident, an insurance adjuster or an attorney may ask you to provide more information. It may not be in your best interests when an investigator also begins searching through your social media. As noted by the Huffington Post, your online postings and uploads may work against you.
It may be possible for an investigator to connect some of your social media postings with your accident or injuries. Finding something that does not match the details you have already provided could be a way to deny your claim. This may possibly include something posted about you by a friend or family member.
Your social media postings may serve as evidence
Online networks can be a good place to look for pictures, videos or comments that could serve as evidence to shut down your claim. Even though a social media network’s terms of service states that your information is private, you may not be able to count on it. In many cases, your postings are accessible to anyone who knows his or her way around social media.
A claims adjuster or defense attorney may look for online photos that you previously took of yourself in a car. If they find evidence that you have used a mobile device while behind the wheel, they may argue that you were distracted and caused your own injuries. Photos and videos uploaded to a social media network after an accident may also suggest that your injuries might not be as severe as claimed.
Their job is to limit or deny your compensation
The job of insurance adjusters or defense attorneys is to protect the interests of their employers and clients. Your goal, however, is to be sure that you receive the full amount of compensation the law entitles you to. It may pay to be careful about what you say after the accident and what you post online.