From impeding your ability to go back to work, enjoy your hobbies, or even living independently, suffering a serious injury in a car accident can impact almost every aspect of your life. While you can’t erase the trauma of this experience, you may be able to file a personal injury claim to recover compensation for the damages you’ve incurred so that you have the funds to move on with your life. Our Echo Park car accident attorneys can sit down to discuss your case with you as part of a free case assessment. 

We are available to take your calls 24 hours a day, seven days a week. To get in touch with a member of our team, dial 1-800-GO-HARRIS today. 

Can I Use Social Media after a Car Wreck? 

From that long-awaited promotion to setting a new personal best on the treadmill, sharing life’s highlights on social media has become second nature for many of us. However, it’s not unusual for people to turn to sites such as Facebook and Twitter in search of emotional support and guidance during more challenging times. As such, after a serious accident, this may be one of your first stops as you try to make sense of what happened to you. 

Unfortunately, anything you post online could be used as evidence to challenge your personal injury claim. Insurers now routinely monitor claimants’ social media feeds in search of any evidence that could be used to launch disputes. At HPIL, we may advise you to deactivate your accounts to minimize the risk of delays, complications, and other issues throughout proceedings. 

However, if this isn’t possible for you, here are a few ways you can ensure that your social media activity doesn’t hurt your case: 

• Do Not Post about the Car Wreck: While you might want to take to social media to vent about the at-fault motorist’s actions, or get emotional support from friends and family, these online conversations could come back to haunt you. Discussing details of the wreck, your injuries, your claim, or even your expenses could hand the insurer ammunition to dispute your claim. For instance, your comments could contradict other evidence in your case, or you may inadvertently admit fault for causing the accident.  

• Screen New Connection Requests Carefully: Insurance companies may use many different strategies to find evidence to dispute your claim. One tactic might involve sending you a connection request to gain access to your “private” profile. Once accepted, the insurer will have the freedom to comb through your posts at their own leisure, picking out any posts that could be used to challenge your credibility. While your case is pending, you should not accept friend requests from individuals you don’t recognize.  

• Do Not Upload Images Online: Modern smartphones arm you with a camera wherever you go. As such, we’ve become accustomed to snapping pictures regularly and uploading these images to social media. However, while your claim is pending, posting these photographs online could hurt your case. For instance, images of you out at an event with your friends just a few weeks after the wreck could give the insurer an opportunity to assert that your injuries can’t be as serious as you are claiming.  

What Should I Bring to My Free Case Review? 

Once you’ve scheduled a case assessment with one of our car accident lawyers, you may be wondering about what you should do to prepare for this consultation. Let’s take a look at a few items your attorney may want to see: 

• Written Account of the Accident: A car wreck can be a traumatic experience, so you may think the visceral details of this event will be burned into your mind forever. However, even these memories will begin to fade, so it’s possible that you may forget important information that might be useful to your claim. As soon as possible after the accident, you should write a detailed account of what happened on that fateful day. What were you doing the moments before the wreck? Did anyone see the collision take place? What did the at-fault party say immediately after the accident? Did anyone capture footage of the crash on their vehicle’s dashcam? Did police officers arrive to investigate the accident? Did you or anyone else receive medical attention? The answers to these questions may help your lawyer identify valuable evidence to support your claim. 

• Medical Records: After a car accident, you should always undergo a medical assessment as soon as you can. Your healthcare provider will usually compile detailed medical records documenting the nature and severity of your injuries and the treatments you will require. Your attorney may use your records to prove many of your losses such as medical expenses, pain and suffering, lost earnings, and replacement services.  

• Personal Injury Journal Entries: A serious injury can affect many different aspects of your life. Your personal injury journal is a space to describe the ways your condition impedes your ability to return to your normal routines. For instance, if you have been experiencing pain and suffering since the accident, you should describe these sensations as part of your entries. A personal injury journal can help provide context to your medical records, and your attorney may use your entries to build a case for non-economic damages such as pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment in life. 

• Bills, Invoices, and Receipts: To recover compensation for an injury, you will need to provide proof for the damages you incurred. As such, you should compile the relevant invoices, estimates, receipts, and bills to share with your attorney during the initial consultation.  

Discuss Your Personal Injury Claim with a Car Accident Attorney in Echo Park 

At Harris Personal Injury Lawyers, we understand the physical, emotional, and financial toll that suffering a serious injury can have on your life. As such, we will treat you with compassion, respect, and professionalism from the moment you pick up the phone, striving to answer your calls and emails promptly. To schedule a free case review, dial 1-800-GO-HARRIS or head over to our Online Contact Page.