Dana Point Motorcycle Accident Attorneys

Motorcycle-car collisions are among the most common—and deadly—accidents on our roads. Bikers, who do not have the protection of seatbelts, airbags, and a chassis, are at high risk of sustaining catastrophic injuries in these accidents. If you were hurt on the road due to another motorist’s reckless or careless actions, our Dana Point motorcycle accident attorneys can help you fight for a fair settlement. At Harris Personal Injury Lawyers, we’ve helped our clients win hundreds of millions of dollars in settlements, verdicts, and awards. If you would like to discuss your situation with one of our attorneys, contact us today at 1-800-GO-HARRIS. The initial consultation is free.

Is It Safe to Use Twitter and Facebook While My Claim Is Pending?

Social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook are important parts of most people’s lives. It’s on these sites that we connect with family and friends, share our successes, and stand in solidarity during life’s darker moments. After suffering a catastrophic injury in a motorcycle accident, you may want to reach out to your online circles for emotional support, guidance, or just to vent your frustrations. While posting on these platforms can help you unpack the events of that traumatic day, you may also be handing ammunition to the insurance company. It’s not uncommon for insurers to monitor the social media activity of those pursuing damages. Insurance companies have a strong incentive to reduce or deny claims as minimizing how much they pay out helps drive up their profits. As such, claims adjusters have become masters at using seemingly harmless social media posts to their advantage. Even the pictures you publish could be leveraged to bring your claim tumbling down. As such, you should disable your social media profiles until your case has concluded. However, if this isn’t possible in your situation, here are a few rules to follow next time you go online:

• Never Post Pictures of Yourself: You’ve heard the saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words”. In a personal injury case, those words could add up to thousands of dollars. Uploading snapshots during your recovery—whether it’s images of your injuries or candid pictures of you and your kids at the park—could affect the outcome of your claim. For instance, photos of you engaging in physical activity could be used as evidence to assert that your condition is not as serious as your attorney is claiming. Alternatively, the insurance company may argue that you were negligent as these images show that you ignored your doctor’s orders to rest. Until you’ve reached a resolution in your claim, you should abstain from publishing pictures online.

• Skip the “Check Ins:” Sites such as Facebook offer you the option to “check in” when you arrive at a new location. It’s a simple way to let friends and family know what you’re getting up to. However, these updates will also make it easier for the insurance company to keep tabs on your whereabouts, which could impact the outcome of your claim. For instance, if you’re spotted checking in at a gym, this information could be used to dispute the severity of your injuries.

• Ignore New Connection Requests: An invitation to connect online represents an opportunity to expand your social circles and professional networks. However, if you’ve filed a personal injury claim, these online requests are not always as innocent as they look. The insurance company may send a connection request to gain access to your “private” social media feed. Once accepted, these individuals will have free rein to pore through your posts and cherry-pick posts that could be used as evidence to challenge your case. As such, if you see a new request, simply ignore it until your case has concluded.

• Never Discuss the Accident Online: Those in your circles may be bombarding you with questions about the accident and your recovery. Some may be worried about your health, others might just be morbidly curious. Publishing a post summarizing the traumatic events of the day you suffered your injuries can be a simple way to put a stop to the endless stream of notifications. However, while this might be an easy fix, you could be throwing more fuel on to the fire. Often, it’s not just your loved ones reading your messages—the insurance company could be watching, too. Anything you post might be snagged by these cyber sleuths and used as evidence to dispute your claim. For example, if you post comments that contradict other evidence in your case, you may lose credibility in the eyes of a judge or jury. Until your claim is resolved, you should abstain from posting about anything related to the accident, your injuries, or the case itself.

How Our Attorneys Can Assist with Your Personal Injury Case

If the responsible party has admitted fault for causing your injuries, you have sufficient evidence to prove liability, causation, and damages, and you aren’t seeking a considerable sum, you may be wondering if hiring an attorney is even necessary. While there are some situations where it’s possible to pursue a claim by yourself, it’s not uncommon for a seemingly open-and-shut case to turn into a never-ending legal battle. At Harris Personal Injury Lawyers, our dedicated attorneys have decades of collective experience handling a variety of different personal injury cases. Were you injured in a road accident caused by another party’s negligent actions? We can help you seek compensation for the damages you’ve incurred. Here are a few ways we might assist with your case:

• Estimate the Potential Recovery: Not all damages are accompanied by a receipt or an invoice. Many types of losses, such as pain and suffering, emotional distress, and lost wages, can be far more difficult to demonstrate. Keep in mind that you cannot trust the insurance company to offer you a fair settlement. After all, paying out claims affects their bottom line. As such, it’s important to get an accurate assessment of the potential recovery in your case. Our motorcycle accident attorneys have the knowledge and expertise to accurately assess the damages available in your case and determine the potential value of such losses. As part of our in-depth investigation, we can help collect evidence to prove your damages and consult with expert witnesses to ensure that your settlement accounts for all recoverable losses.

• Collect Evidence: If you want to build a strong claim, you have to start with a solid foundation. In personal injury law that means gathering watertight evidence that won’t crumble under scrutiny. From dashcam footage to eyewitness testimony to input from medical specialists, there are many types of evidence our attorneys can use to help you prove liability, causation, and damages. If some evidence is difficult to obtain, our lawyers will know what steps to take to recover this evidence before it becomes unavailable.

• Guide You Through the Claims Process: Whether you have questions about your case or need help understanding certain legal jargon, our lawyers are on hand to provide guidance and support. We can also help you avoid common mistakes that may otherwise harm your claim. For instance, our legal team might suggest disabling your social media profiles until your case has concluded. Posts published on these platforms can be used by the insurance company to dispute aspects of your claim. By abstaining from these sites, you will reduce the risk of sharing information that might later lead to disputes.

Speak to a Dana Point Motorcycle Accident Attorney Today

If you or someone you love was injured in a motorcycle accident, contact Harris Personal Injury Lawyers. Our legal team can assess your case, answer your questions, and discuss your options. Call 1-800-GO-HARRIS or send us a message HERE to set up your free case evaluation.