Social media addiction is assuredly a major phenomenon in the United States, and North Carolina residents are no strangers to this trend. It has grown exponentially during the past five years as almost everyone has some sort of cyber visibility on social media platforms. The problems ensue in insurance claim situations when injured victims may be photographed doing certain things that they may be claiming they cannot do in an accident case. All posts on social media are essentially publications, and respondent insurance companies and defending parties can use those images when crafting a defense to the claim. Any personal injury attorney will advise this a bad practice for anyone pursuing damages for an accident injury regardless of the injury unless the social media post promotes the fact that the claimant is indeed injured.
How Social Media Can Impact A Personal Injury Case – Injury Claim Defenses
One of the central elements to defending an injury claim is the position that an injury is not as serious as a claimant has stated. Medical documentation evidence can be misleading is some instances, and insurance companies are ruthless when it comes to reducing claim values in North Carolina. It can easily impact claims negatively when insurance companies access the social media accounts of parties who have filed for financial recovery. This not only provides a defense for the respondent party, but it also leaves the personal injury attorney in a precarious situation when attempting to maximize a claim value.
Impacted Claim Elements
While insurance companies have a relatively low priority for pecuniary claims for medical bill recovery, they actually do want to avoid whole reimbursement for lost wages when a claimant cannot work. In addition, insurance providers especially want to avoid the all-important general damage claims for long-term issues resulting from the injury. These elements are typically where claimants are properly compensated for injuries, and social media posts can be strong evidence against the claims. Negative social media posts could even result in a case going to trial in hopes of establishing any level of contributory negligence against the claimant from an influenced jury.
Never put your personal injury attorney in a compromised situation when trying to maximize your injury claim in North Carolina. The state has one of the most restrictive insurance claim laws in the nation, and all injured claimants who are assigned even a 1% comparative fault assessment may be denied any financial compensation for injuries. Play it safe and avoid social media posting.
