Social Media Can Negatively Impact Pennsylvania Car Accident Cases
If you’ve been injured in a car accident in Pennsylvania and intend to file an insurance claim or lawsuit based upon your injuries, then your past and future Social Media activity can negatively impact your case.
It’s become common practice for car insurance company adjusters and defense attorneys to ask about and attempt to view Social Media postings to investigate car insurance and car accident claims.
If they find negative information about your character or information or photos that contradict your claims of pain or limitations, then it can be devastating to your car accident case.
Because we live in a new world of sometimes constant postings about our lives and activities, it’s important for victims of car accidents to understand that if they plan to make compensation claims, then their Social Media posts can become relevant evidence in the case.
Injury claims often involve claims of pain and inability to engage in activities. Making such claims opens the injured party up to investigation into those claims including evidence of what life was like before and after the accident.
Investigation can take the form of interviews of family members, friends and co-workers, surveillance by private investigators and investigation into the injured person’s Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, etc.)
Three Social Media Rules
As a Pennsylvania Car Accident Lawyer, I can offer three tips regarding the issue of the interplay betweeen Social Media and Car Accident claims.
Privacy Settings
First, make sure your Privacy Settings only allow your friends to see your posts and never accept friend requests from strangers. This will minimize the ability of insurance company adjusters and defense attorneys to invade your privacy.
Post Responsibly
Second, assume that everything you post after your accident will end up being used in your Personal Injury case. So, posts that make you look bad like posts of you partying or engaging in improper or even illegal activity may come back to bite you. Also, if posts end up contradicting your sworn testimony about your injuries or limitations, it can be devastating to your case.
Don’t “Clean Up” your Site for Litigation
Third, understand that you are not permitted to “clean up” your Social Media site for the purpose of improving your insurance claim or lawsuit allegations. Deleting past posts or photos can be considered destroying evidence and can seriously harm your legal claims.
The bottom line is that you should be a responsible Social Media user and should be completely honest in your Car Accident Personal Injury claim about your pain and limitations. If you stick by those rules, as well as make sure that your Privacy Settings allow access only by your friends, you can minimize the chances of Social Media harming your Pennsylvania Car Accident case.
Tim Rayne is a Pennsylania Car Accident Lawyer with the law firm MacElree Harvey, Ltd. For over 20 years, Tim has been helping injured victims of accidents receive fair treatment from insurance companies. Tim helps clients with car accidents, slip and fall accidents, medical malpractice claims and other personal injuries. Tim has law offices in Kennett Square and West Chester Pennsylvania. Contact Tim at 6108400124 or trayne@macelree.com.