So, you want to know if insurance companies are reviewing your Facebook
or Twitter feed to see if you are chatting or sharing photos about your
personal injury claim, your current injury or financial status? The quick
and easy answer is – YES! Since most anything can be found online,
social media outlets like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, LinkedIn,
comments on a personal blog or in online forums can answer a lot of questions
or raise new ones for insurance companies investigating your claim. An
easy Google search can even offer a supporting different view on your
lifestyle as it relates to your injury.
Some insurance companies have pulled together a team of investigators who
use social media to learn more about you. They do this by collecting a
social media report and sharing it with claim adjusters and attorneys.
These special insurance investigators want answers to these questions:
- Are there any post comments or photographs related to the personal injury
claim listed? - Can the claimant participate in physical activities?
- How about photos or comments that may reveal fraudulence?
- What do the photos and posts of the claimant show about their financial
situation? - Any questionable judgment, impairment from drugs and alcohol, or criminal activity?
- Is there any online activity that represents information contradicting
the claim?
When the online investigation team has found information or photos that
conflict with a personal injury claim, it is likely that the results will
impact your settlement claim.
HOW TO PROTECT YOUR ONLINE PRIVACY AND YOUR CLAIM
An insurance company could use anything you post on a social feed in an
investigation. So if you are in review of a personal injury claim just
don’t post photos or engage in claim conversation on social media.
Any photo or post authored by you could be viewed incorrectly and send
a message that 1) you are in a better financial situation than portrayed
or 2) your injury is not as bad as you stated in your claim.
Follow these tips from Wagner Reese to avoid your personal injury case
being rejected:
- It is in your best interest to AVOID any social media posts at all. Just
don’t do it. - If you will be engaging in social media, be sure to set up accounts with
the maximum privacy settings. - Turn off your location settings. This feature will disclose your geographic
location. It can be used to determine your exact location at the time
of an incident but also to show investigators places and activities you
may frequent and participate in. - Do not discuss or ever reveal information about your personal injury accident.
- Be careful who you are talking about and how you are talking about people
in your life. If you are in a workman’s compensation case, don’t
talk about your employer or engage in any exchanges with others involved or not. - Turn off your tagging settings and monitor your posts. Be sure you are
reviewing any updates that show you have been tagged in a photo or post. - Do not discuss or request advice from others on how to proceed in your case.
- Trust the advice of a personal injury lawyer.
Be sure to know how your information is being used by social media platforms
and inform your lawyers of any questions you have about using social media
at this time.
Don’t let the insurance company avoid paying you the compensation
you deserve because of a misguided social media post. Entrust your Indiana
personal injury case to a team of experienced lawyers who will help you
fight against insurance companies, and receive the maximum amount of compensation
you deserve. Call the law firm of Wagner Reese today at (888) 204-8440for your FREE consultation!