Don’t Let Social Media Ruin Your Legal Action for Compensation
Do you post on Facebook every activity that you do? Are you the type of person who shares every thought on Twitter? Do you frequently take snapshots of your day and put it on Instagram?
Social media is such a wonderful thing. It allows people to take a peek at another person’s day. Wondering how’s your former classmates doing now? Are you curious what’s your old workmate doing nowadays? Simply go online and log on to any social media website. Chances are you’ll see these people and what they’re up to these days.
While sharing your thoughts and day-to-day stuff on social media is quite normal, oversharing may not be a good idea. Especially if you’ve just recovered after experiencing a gruesome car accident. More so, if you filed a claim or manifested an intent to pursue an action for compensation for damages or injuries.
Social media is full of potential traps for people who are asserting or have asserted their rights to obtain damages arising from a car accident. For all you know, representatives from the insurance company or any party having adverse claims may look for any proof to negate these assertions, resulting in the denial of claims.
If you have been involved in a car accident and looking to file a claim, you might want to consider keeping tabs on your actions on social media.
So what are the best ways to stay “safe” on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and the like? Check out these simple tips.
Do you keep your social media accounts to a private setting? By doing so, you limited other people’s access to your pages. It’s a preferred setting, allowing only your current friends online to see what you post. Activate this feature to protect your social media accounts from prying eyes.
But please know that keeping your profiles private doesn’t mean everything you put in your social media accounts stay private. Someone who has access to your pages may share your content, whether inadvertently or intentionally.
Are you getting a lot of friend requests from people you don’t know? Best to ignore them. Better yet, decline or block them outright if they appear dubious. You shouldn’t be adding just anybody who sends contact requests to you. That is, unless you know them.
The period during which your insurance claims are processed can be a very critical time for you. Posting on social media websites can make or break your claims. Which is why, it is best to lay off Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram during the resolution period of your insurance claims. Until it is resolved, never mention anything confidential or any matter that may cause adverse consequences against you.
If you feel the need to post, make no mention about the car accident. Nothing especially about your contributory negligence or fault, if there are any. When updating trusted family or friends, do it privately through direct messaging or private chat.
Social media accounts have this photo-tagging feature. Even if you didn’t post a pic of you, your online friends can still tag you in theirs. If this is a major concern for you, adjust your privacy settings to prevent others from tagging pics of you. Or perhaps it is best to deactivate your social media accounts in the meantime.
