Is Social Media Costing You Money? Why You Should Stay Offline After Your Injury Accident.
In today’s world it is second nature to post your life events on social media. From Facebook & Instagram to Twitter & Snapchat it seems we now post daily and even hourly, updating those we are connected with about our lives.
Even I have fallen accustomed to this phenomenon (look where I am posting this content) and our firm’s use of social media.
We always seem to post those times where our lives are most affected, for better or worse. That birthday party for you or your loved one, weddings, graduations, to those tough times in life — diagnosis of diseases, family and friends being ill or passing away…these times are almost always shared on social media.
Injury accidents, especially car accidents can be a time of great emotion — fear, anxiousness, and sometimes relief. It’s normal to want to update your friends, family, and relatives letting them know what happened and what’s going on. However, posting any information (pictures, comments, videos, etc.) on social media about your injury accident should be avoided after your accident and throughout your claim process.
After you or a loved one has been in a car accident or otherwise injured due to another’s negligence — posting updates on social media can be a natural reaction, but should always be avoided.
Posting videos, photos, and/or comments on social media about your accident can have many negative outcomes during settlement negotiations and trial. The Insurance Company and Insurance Adjusters can and will find these social media posts to use against you during your claim, trying to avoid paying you what you rightly deserve for your injuries.
If your claim proceeds to trial, the Insurance Company’s attorneys will also try to use your comments, photos, and videos against you. Think about having your Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter posts about your injury accident used against you at trial. Insurance Companies will try to use whatever information they can get to avoid paying you the money you deserve for your injury.
Some common Social Media mistakes made after an injury accident, include:
1.) Venting on Social Media — posting angry comments about the other party or insurance company should be avoided at all times. Although injury claims can sometimes be long and frustrating it is always important to stay respectful of the other party and insurance company.
2.) Posting Pictures — while it is tempting to post pictures of your accident, injury, or injury scene this should also be avoided. Think twice about posting pictures of your daily life on social media after your injury accident and throughout your injury claim, especially if you have experienced a significant or catastrophic injury.
3.) Accident/Health Updates — as exciting as it is to start feeling better after an injury, posting health updates online and on social media should be avoided. Although you may be feeling better, its best to leave medical determinations up to your Doctor and other medical professionals.
Instead of posting on social media you should use your cell phone to:
1.) Take Photos of the Accident Scene (if possible)
2. Write Notes about what happened & how you are feeling
3.) Focus on finding & getting medical treatment
Your cell phone (and social media) can assist you in several ways:
Photos of Accident Scene & Injuries: Your cell phone’s camera can be a big help in getting photos of the accident scene & injuries sustained. Your cell phone can help you in taking, storing, and sending photos of your injury accident. Taking and keeping photos of your injury accident and scene can be very helpful in navigating your injury claim. If possible, take as many pictures as you (or a loved one) can of the injury accident scene.
Writing Notes: Writing notes about your experience after your injury accident is a good idea. Your injury claim will typically be a long process and you may forget important details. Things such as your emotional reaction to your injury accident, the impact your injury has on your daily life, etc. are important to note throughout your injury claim.
Writing notes about treatments you have received and what doctors you have seen is also helpful. Be sure to keep notes about how your injury accident has impacted your day to day life and relationships with family & friends. Having more information is always most helpful.
Most cell phones have useful, built in notes apps that can be used to keep up with this information.
Finding & Getting Medical Treatment: After an injury accident you should focus on getting medical treatment for your injuries. Receiving medical treatment for your injuries is important to your long term health and well being. No matter what you believe to be the level of severity of your injury, you should always seek professional guidance after your injury accident.
One tip is to use your cell phone to search online for doctors, physical therapists, chiropractors, neurologists or other specialists that could assist in your treatment. Your cellphone and social media sites can be useful in finding health professionals & helping you remember to attend medical treatment sessions.
Keeping track of your medical treatment dates and attorney appointments: Your cell phone is a great tool to help keep up with important medical treatment dates, meeting times with your lawyer, and other important dates.
Using your cell phone to search online for doctors, physical therapists, chiropractors, neurologists or other specialists that could assist in your treatment can be very helpful.
Cell phone apps such as Google Calendar, Sunrise Calendar, and Pocketlife Calendar, can help keep you up to date with medical treatment and attorney appointments, helping be sure you do not forget them.
Remember to avoid the common social media mistakes made after an injury accident throughout your potential injury claim.
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