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How Social Media May Wreck Your Car Accident Claim

by Gene Vasquez

Motor vehicle accident attorneys find the age of social media to be a bit of a double-edged sword. On the upside, there's a chance that the responsible party might slip up and post something very bad on Facebook. Conversely, their client may very well make the exact same mistake. In the months following a car accident, it's wise to keep these three concerns in mind.

Seeming Excessively Active

Few events are as disruptive as being in an accident, but your motor vehicle accident lawyer will discourage you from doing anything, such as taking a trip to the beach, that might make you look more active and happy than your claim indicates. The insurance company and their lawyers make a point of scanning social media for posts, and they will set up alerts for words that indicate high levels of ambulatory activity, such as barbecues and cookouts. Even one Instagram photo of you looking extremely happy may be used as evidence of your current state of mind in order to try to reduce the value of your claim.

Fault

Having hired a car accident attorney services firm to represent your interests, you'll likely feel like you've done everything necessary to indicate you don't believe you're at fault. After all, you wouldn't be fighting for compensation if you thought you were in the wrong.

The problem is that statements on social media about the incident can be construed as admissions of fault. Friends and family members are likely to talk casually with you about what happened, and it's easy to for you to say something like, "I can't believe I drove right into the front of that pickup truck." It may seem like an innocent reflection on what happened, but the insurance company's counsel will ask you under oath what you meant by it.

Bad Faith

As your car accident lawyer services firm and the insurance company work with each other to arrive at a settlement, it's critical to act in good faith. Making highly negative statements about the insurance carrier can be interpreted as an act of bad faith, and social media is, after all, a place that people go to vent about everything. Don't assume that privacy settings and filters will keep the insurance company out of your feed, as only one friend has to slip up and mention something publicly to create a world of trouble for your claim.

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