How Insurance Adjusters Use Social Media Against You
Its become common for insurance adjusters to use social media as one way to investigate claims, which can have negative consequences for claimants. If individuals post something online or have a digital footprint on social media, their posts can be used against them to challenge the severity of their injuries and potentially reduce their compensation.
Insurance adjusters research using search engines, data mining, and keyword searches to examine social media posts and postings on other public websites like Yelp, TripAdvisor, and Google. Even seemingly insignificant comments can make a big difference in litigation since they could be taken out of context and used against an individual in court.
In the digital age, prudent consideration must be given to the contents of any material posted online, while maintaining an awareness regarding the possibility of negative consequences based on the research of insurance companies.
Anyone involved in the litigation process needs to monitor their online presence since personal profiles can become evidence during a trial. Therefore, individuals should exercise caution when posting online as their content can indicate a fitness level inconsistent with their medical diagnosis or accident history. Failing to do so could lead to a claim denial or limited coverage compensation due to information discovered on social media. Additionally, insurers may use past posts and digital footprints to assess medical history, so claimants should remain mindful of what they write or post online.
How Do Insurance Companies Use Social Media?
Although putting up a message on social media regarding an accident may seem harmless, it can cause a loss of substantial amounts of money. Insurance firms are adept in reducing expenses for compensation to claimants. They will search for your online presence on mainstream social media platforms and monitor your behavior to find grounds for disapproving your request or reducing your compensation. The aim of the insurance adjusters could be to discredit your injuries, portray you as an untrustworthy claimant, and ultimately force you to settle for reduced compensation and discredit your legitimate claim.
Your insurer can gather information about your lifestyle and activities, such as your location, pictures from social gatherings, driving photos from public monitoring systems, ‘tagged’ photos posted by others, observe your physical activities, research any past job complaints, vacation plans pending or past, large expenditures, and more, to construct a case against you.
Strategies and Steps You Should Take:
It is imperative to refrain from divulging any information about the legal proceedings or dialogues that have taken place with your attorney.
It is advisable to refrain from uploading visual content such as photos or videos.
In the aftermath of an injury, individuals should refrain from tagging themselves in photographs posted by their friends and advise their friends of the same.
It is advised not to affirm requests for companionship emanating from unknown individuals.
Refrain from commenting on the status or posts of friends and family or posting your own unless the content is deemed ineligible for potential use against you in a legal context.
In general, when it comes to your social media usage, we recommend consistently monitoring and adjusting your privacy settings as needed to limit the accessibility of personal content to only individuals you know and trust.
Speak to one of our personal injury attorneys to help you navigate your insurance claim. Contact the Regard Law Group, PLLC online, or call our office at 859-281-1318.