Now more than ever, adults are taking to social media when something noteworthy happens to them. If you’ve been involved in an auto accident, you may have been tempted to share the experience on your Facebook or Instagram account. If you choose to post photos or give your side of the story, proceed with caution. According to the American Bar Association:
“The ubiquitous nature of social media has made it an unrivaled source of evidence … particularly in the areas of criminal, personal-injury, employment, and family law, social media evidence has played a key role in countless cases.”
Here are three ways to navigate social media after you’ve been in a car accident.
- Less is More
The best thing you can do is remove yourself from social media until the case you have settled. Any and all information you share can be used against you if your case goes before a judge. If you are going to be active on social media, make sure your photos and posts are not referencing or sharing information about your accident. While your post may seem innocent, insurance companies have been known to search social media sites for evidence that may refute your claims of injury or mental anguish. The safest decision is to remove yourself from all the social media sites until your case has been settled. However, if you simply can not cut social media out completely … - Make it Private
The next best step is to make all of your social media pages private. Change your privacy settings on each of your social media platforms to make your content available only to those that you’ve accepted as friends. Change your settings so that any photo you are tagged in requires your approval before becoming public. Disable the “sharing” of any of your pictures or posts by friends. Be extremely cautious if you receive a friend request from someone you do not know, as you might be giving the wrong person access to all of your private information. - Do not Delete Anything
You may be tempted to delete your page entirely. Whatever content has already been posted, should stay right where it is. Going back and deleting old posts could be considered “spoilage of evidence” if the insurance company catches on. Leave your pages up and make sure to change your privacy settings.
In summary, try to remove yourself from social media until everything is settled following an auto accident. Otherwise, make your accounts and pages private, disable sharing, do not accept a friend request from anyone you do not know personally, and do not delete or alter previous posts.
We hope these tips will help you should find yourself involved in a car accident. If you have been injured in an auto accident in the Houston area, please reach out to our office today for a free consultation to discuss your case. It is our mission to help our clients receive full and fair compensation for the injuries they have continued. We’re available 24/7 to answer your questions. Give our office a call today at 713-714-1414.
