Discussing the details of your claim publicly may help bring awareness to your situation. Some people do this to try and prevent others from suffering the same injuries. However, it may not always be a good idea to discuss your claim publicly, such as on a social media site, with strangers or with the media.
Our auto accident lawyer in Fort Worth offers a free and confidential consultation to discuss your claim. There are no upfront fees, and we do not charge you an hourly rate.
Below, we talk about why discussing your claim publicly may not be a good idea. We also talk about those who you should and should not discuss your claim with.
Why Discussing Your Claim Publicly May Be a Bad Idea
There are several ways you might discuss your claim publicly:
- Posting about it on social media
- Talking about it on public forums
- Discussing it with strangers in public
- Talking to the media about it
Although these actions may seem innocent, they may negatively impact your claim.
For one, you should never post anything about the accident or your pending case to social media. The insurance company will look for any excuse to attack your credibility. This includes digging through your social media accounts to find anything that contradicts what you say on record. Even saying something as simple as “I am fine” with an image of your damaged vehicle could be used against you.
The same goes for publicly discussing your claim with strangers on public internet forums. This includes websites like Reddit and Nextdoor. Even though many people these use forums to find help, the insurance company may also comb through these conversations to find some way to undermine your claim.
Another thing to keep in mind is that insurance companies often hire private investigators to spy on accident victims. While this sounds illegal, it is not. Especially if you are speaking publicly about your case to someone else. A private investigator can record that conversation.
Lastly, it may seem like a good idea to take your story to the press to find the help you need. However, this may hurt your claim.
The insurance company may try to frame you as a person who only wants attention. They might argue that you went to the media in hopes of getting sympathy from people so they can give you money. Not only does this hurt your credibility, but it also hurts your chances of recovering compensation because the insurance company will argue that you raised enough money to cover your damages.
Protecting Your Claim if You do Post on Social Media
You may decide to continue posting on social media while seeking compensation for your damages. However, it is important to understand how pictures and comments could hurt your claim for compensation.
Posting pictures of you on vacation or out having fun with your friends could be used against you. The insurance company could argue you have healed from your injuries because you do not look injured in these pictures. The insurance company might even argue you were never injured in the first place.
You should also avoid discussing your recovery from your injury. You may want to talk about how well things are going, but this could be used against you. The insurance company is looking for any reason to underpay your claim or even deny it.
You may think you can use privacy settings to prevent the insurance company from seeing your posts. But what if one of your friends/followers reposts something you posted? Your privacy settings may not be as strong as you think. Insurance companies sometimes set up fake profiles and send friend requests to see what you are posting on social media.
These are all reasons why it may be best to simply stop posting on social media while your attorney is seeking compensation. It can be very difficult to avoid posting something that could hurt your credibility or the value of your case.
People You Should Discuss Your Claim With
There are certain individuals you should discuss your claim with. The most important person to discuss your claim with is an attorney. He or she can help investigate your claim and offer legal advice to help ensure your credibility remains intact.
You might also discuss your claim with your immediate family, as they are likely going to be just as affected by the outcome of the case as you are. However, you may want to tell your family to avoid posting about the case on social media or discussing the case with too many other people.
You probably do not need to discuss your case with your employer. If you cannot work because of your injury, you just need to provide a note from your doctor.
You may think you need to discuss your claim with your doctor, but that may not be true. You need to discuss your injuries, but it is unnecessary to say much about your claim. Your comments could be noted in your medical records and possibly come back to hurt your claim.
Call Today for a Confidential Consultation
If you need to talk about your claim with someone, call our attorneys today. The consultation is free and confidential. We can discuss your legal options after the crash.
We do not charge you any fees while we work on your case. Our attorneys work on contingency, which means we do not get paid unless you do.
Our attorneys have a proven record of recovering compensation for injured victims in Texas.
Call (817) 920-9000 today. We are ready to help.