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Let’s face it—social media is a way of life for most Californians these days. After you’ve been hurt in a serious car accident, you want to stay in touch with your friends and family—both in and outside of California—and let them know how you’re doing. It’s natural to want to turn to Facebook, Twitter, or other social media platforms to connect. But, you may want to think twice before you hit “submit.”
Unfortunately, many San Bernardino car accident victims are surprised to find that their online posts, Tweets, photographs, statuses, and videos are being watched by the other driver’s insurance company, and even online posts that are unrelated to the accident could be used against you.
After an Accident, Assume Anything You Post Online Is Public and Could Be Read by Anyone
While it’s good advice in general, it’s especially important to take steps to maintain your online privacy after an accident. Although using privacy settings can help, there is still a risk that a post will accidentally be made public or shared by someone else, and even private messages can be problematic in this way. To be safe, you may want to avoid posting any information about your accident online.
Even posts that are seemingly unrelated to your accident can pop up later in the claims process. For example, an accident victim who Tweets a happy picture at a birthday party may later see that photo used to minimize claims of PTSD or depression. Similarly, an innocent video of you playing with your kids may be taken out of context and later used to “prove” that your injuries are not as severe as you claim.
If you have questions about how to protect yourself after you’ve been hurt in an accident, our friendly San Bernardino team would be happy to assist you today. Reach out to us confidentially with your concerns, or leave us a comment below to let us know how we’re doing.