Any qualified personal injury attorney will tell their clients to stay off social media after being involved in an accident. Even with the best of intentions, even when a person is “being careful,” they can inadvertently say something that could hurt their case. However, there are a few ways in which social media could potentially help after an accident. Read on to learn more and then contact us at 800-333-0000 if you a free legal consultation.
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You can ask for recommendations
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You can check qualifications
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You may be able to find witnesses
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The other party may show their hand
One of the great things about social media is that it allows individuals to instantly learn a lot about any company they are considering doing business with. Do you need to have your car repaired after a car accident? Your friends on Facebook may be able to help. Do you need to find a good physical therapist? You may have Twitter friends who have advice. Even if you don’t, you can use social media to read reviews of companies or professionals you are considering working with.
Once you have a few suggestions, you may want to dig a little deeper to ensure that you’re choosing the right person or company. You can check testimonials, see what professional associations a person or business belongs to, learn about certification, and see examples of the work they do. Do not be afraid to ask for a license number so that you can find out more about their history and track record.
When settling a car accident claim, it often comes down to what the witnesses saw – but what happens when they were not able to stop at the scene or you did not get their contact information? It happens all the time – the person involved in the accident is hurt, scared, and unsure what to do. The witness stops, sees that everyone is safe, and continues on their way. You just missed a great opportunity to have someone verify what happened – or did you?
If you happen to have pictures of the scene that include a witness, you can crowdsource said pictures to see if anyone on social media knows who they are. If you do not have a picture, you can get on sites like NextDoor where you’re able to describe the accident and see if anyone saw it. You could post a “missed connections” add on Craigslist. Just make sure that you only stick to the bare facts, such as the time and place of the accident. Skip the leading information that could potentially negate anything they tell you.
Your personal injury attorney will tell you not to use social media because you can so easily show that you were not actually injured – even if you were things can be taken out of context. The same is true of the other side. They could be reporting one thing to their insurance company but bragging on social media with an entirely different story.
