Social Media and Your Car Accident

Imagine driving when suddenly, someone crashes into your vehicle, causing a terrible accident. After seeing a doctor, it’s determined that you have some fractures, and you’re advised to rest and keep track of your medical visits.

Your family from out of town wants to know how you’re doing, and a simple phone call isn’t enough. They begin posting on social media, and you also upload texts and photos related to your accident.

When you try to file an insurance claim, things get complicated because of a series of posts that you and/or your family shared. Although it wasn’t the intention, they’re interpreted as if you’re already fine and don’t need compensation for your case. What went wrong here?

What Happens With Social Media?

Since the rise of various social media platforms, we love to post about enjoying a delicious meal at the trendiest restaurant or incredible photos from our travels. We even get used to keeping a digital record of our daily lives for friends and family to see.

All of this information is stored on platforms like Facebook, creating a history that’s difficult to erase. Even requesting that these platforms remove information that you shared yourself becomes a nightmare that requires hiring a specialized lawyer and comes at a cost.

Now, returning to the topic of the car accident, it’s when you have to be careful about the information you share.

It’s clear that in many cases, a person wants to express their dissatisfaction or pain after an accident, and they want to let their family know that they’re fine, especially if they live in another country.

However, it’s essential to know that the information you publish regarding the car accident can be used against you by the opposing party.

Who is the opposing party? It’s the one you’re suing. For example, if that person caused the accident, then their lawyer or insurance companies will be monitoring your information to see if they can obtain something favorable to them.

What type of content should I refrain from posting?

Let’s say you fractured your arm in an accident, and your family decided to take you to the beach to distract you. If you start posting photos of your trip playing with your kids or sharing the delicious food you’re enjoying, then the opposing party will see that you’re already okay.

It’s also relevant to be aware of what people close to you are doing. Asking your family not to comment on anything is critical so that there are no negative consequences for your case.

Something that can also help you is configuring privacy settings on social media. You have control over who can see your profile. Despite that, we always recommend refraining from posting this type of content (or even temporarily disabling your account). Nowadays, it’s effortless to obtain information from the code behind texts and images and access the exact records and dates corresponding to what was shared.

It’s important to take the necessary measures to avoid additional problems, and we even encourage you to share this with your family and friends, in case someone you know is going through a similar situation.

If you need help with your car accident case, be sure to contact Abogados Centro Legal. We’re happy to assist you.