Don’t Let Social Media Hurt Your Injury Claim

by Staff Blogger | March 20th, 2019

Nearly 70 percent of Americans use social media. While those websites and apps make it easy and convenient to stay in touch with family and friends, they can be detrimental to compensation claims after accidents. Insurance companies will do almost anything to avoid paying victims the money they deserve after injuries. That includes using victims’ words against them. At Berg Injury Lawyers, our California personal injury lawyers protect injury victims from insurance companies’ tactics by handling all communication on their behalf. But we can’t always be there when victims post on social media—and posting the wrong things can and often does jeopardize claims.

How Do Insurance Companies Use Social Media Against Victims?

The adjusters who work for insurance companies are skeptical of most victims’ claims by default. It’s their job to prove that victims are responsible for their own accidents, that their injuries are pre-existing, or that their injuries aren’t as severe as they claim they are. They do that by digging up any and all evidence related to victims and their accidents, including police reports, medical records, and even social media accounts. When adjusters view victims’ social media accounts, they look for anything that can help them reduce or deny compensation payments. That includes things like:
  • Contradictory statements—Whether it’s a differing account of how the accident occurred or a description of injuries that doesn’t match medical records, insurance adjusters will use status updates that don’t fit the facts contained in compensation claims to reduce or deny victims’ settlements.
  • “Incriminating” photos—Insurance adjusters also may comb through victims’ social media profiles for pictures that might indicate their injuries are pre-existing or that their injuries aren’t as severe as they say they are.
It’s important to remember that insurance adjusters are trained to find holes in victims’ claims, regardless of how small or insignificant they seem. Don’t give them the chance to reduce or deny your claim on a technicality or small oversight. Limit your usage of social media and get a California auto accident lawyer on your side. At Berg Injury Lawyers, we do everything in our power to protect victims from the insurance company’s tactics, and we’re ready to help you, too.  Contact us today for a free case review.