Can an insurance company deny my accident claim based on evidence from my social media profiles?

Yes, your car insurance claim may be denied based on evidence from your social media profiles. This is becoming a popular means of acquiring information that could be relevant to an accident case. Saying too much on social media and making other mistakes could ruin your injury case.

How Your Social Media Profile Could Damage Your Claim

Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or a blog; it’s a good idea to suspend all social media accounts after an accident. Or at least limit who has access to them. Don’t accept random friend requests and make sure you check the privacy settings your accounts. Otherwise, your claim could be at serious risk.

One way social media can be damaging is if it raises a red flag on liability for the accident. Let’s say a large majority of your posts reference drinking. Most of your pictures capture these scenes at bars and parties, including pictures dated just before the accident. If there was any question of impairment in the accident, this could become a factor in the case.

Misinterpreted posts from friends and followers can wreck a claim too. For instance, something said in jest could become a factor in the case. This might include a friend commenting, “Your speeding finally caught up with you.” Or, “I told you to get that hunk of junk fixed,” which suggests you knew something was wrong with the vehicle.

The insurance adjuster would still have to link the comments and/or other evidence to the actual case, however.

You might also destroy your claim if your social media profiles dispute the injuries you’re claiming. If you’ve indicated you have a back injury that prevents you from participating in any strenuous activities, but a picture posted online shows you golfing recently, it’s going to be difficult to explain that away. Even older pictures of the activity could be subject to scrutiny by an insurance company.

Don’t limit your monitoring to comments, status updates, pictures and videos. Even accepting an online invitation to an event can be damaging. If it’s a bunch of friends getting together to go rock-climbing and you accept the invite, this might look suspicious. You may not intend to rock climb, only watch. But the insurance company doesn’t know that and an adjuster may use it to question your injury.

It might also harm your case if someone checks you into a location. You could be taking the kids for an activity that you plan on watching. But an adjuster may take it as you are participating in the activity, and may question your injury.

Ensure Your Social Media Profile Doesn’t Destroy Your Claim

As mentioned, it’s best to suspend your accounts. Even if you limit online activity and monitor everything, it might not be enough; a friend or family member might slip up and make a damaging comment.

If you keep your accounts open as normal, remember to never post anything about the accident or your recovery. Ask yourself this question. Before I post this Tweet or status update, upload this picture or video, could it hurt my claim in any way? Think before doing anything online. And talk to your friends and family about this as well.

Another way to protect your claim is to seek legal counsel. Legal counsel is important anytime an accident results in serious or disabling injuries. An attorney knows how to avoid tactics the insurance company uses to diminish the value of a case.

Don’t delay learning about your rights after an accident or if your insurance claim is denied. Call D.J. Banovitz at 303-300-5060 or use our online contact form to set up a consultation.