Social Media and Accident Claims

Social media is an integral part of many people’s lives, but sharing information after an accident can be misinterpreted or intentionally turned against you to weaken your claim for compensation. Car accident lawyers with over fifty years of experience can guide you on the ‘dos and don’ts’ of social media and accident claims so you don’t accidentally jeopardize your case. 

How Sharing on Social Media Can Backfire

Insurance companies can peruse your social media photos and posts and use the information they find against you in ways you may not have even thought of, such as to:

• Attack your credibility: If you talk about a new job, doing something fun, or make a joke or light-hearted quip about your injuries, an insurance company may offer this as proof that your injuries aren’t as bad as you claim.
• Contradict your claims: If you post about going to a football game or barbeque with friends, insurance companies can use the photos to argue you are making up or exaggerating your injuries. Location tracking and timestamps can also undercut claims about being homebound or having mobility issues.
• Twist comments from family and friends: Even well-intentioned comments like “Glad you’re feeling better!” or pictures of you smiling when they are visiting can be used by attorneys to challenge your injuries.

The problem is that social media posts are just a snapshot in time that don’t show the whole picture. They won’t show the pain or fatigue that happens after a short burst of activity. Insurers and legal teams will do their best to use this information to deny or reduce the compensation they need to pay.

Insurance companies and their legal teams don’t just collect evidence from social media sources. They also look for dashcam footage after a crash and can use how surveillance affects injury claims to their advantage.

What You Should Do to Protect Yourself

While your claim is active, it is best to stay off social media altogether. Decline requests from people you don’t know, as these could be investigators using fake accounts to get access to your private feeds.

Also, ask your friends and family not to post anything about you online. Even if your accounts are set to private, your content can still be accessed by insurance companies through subpoenas.

Honest Legal Advice Around Social Media

Discuss your online behavior with the team at Gage Mathers so we can help you avoid making costly mistakes on social media. We’ll explain the risks of sharing what happened after an accident so you don’t accidentally hurt your case.

Don’t delete any old posts unless your attorney tells you to. This could be seen as evidence tampering. Your attorney may suggest that you post about your recovery journey or carefully describe the accident to support your case, but this should only be done with expert legal guidance.

Gage Mathers is up-to-date on the nuances of evolving Arizona laws related to social media and other aspects of personal injury law. Call us today for a free consultation and learn how we’ve battled with insurance companies to earn $325 million for our clients!

About the Author

Joseph D'Aguanno

Guided by the belief that being a highly skilled specialist in a narrow field is better than being ordinary in everything, Joseph “JD” D’Aguanno leads Arizona’s best personal injury law firm in Phoenix, AZ. Having extensive cross-training in pre-litigation negotiations and trial lawyer skills, with decades of experience, JD strives to provide clients with the most valuable legal services a personal injury lawyer can provide. Under his direction, Gage Mathers Law Group is an award-winning personal injury law firm providing aggressive representation to victims of a car accident, medical malpractice, dog bite, motorcycle accident, and other injurious events. Gage Mathers is trusted by thousands of lawyers and clients throughout the country because of their reputation for getting clients the maximum compensation they deserve.

Years of experience: Over 24 years
Bar number: 020421
Location: Phoenix, AZ
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