Impact of Social Media on Car Accident Claims In Louisiana

Social media has brought the world closer and connected people in unprecedented ways. 

It has made our lives so much easier. Social media has given us the freedom of speech and to share our thoughts and emotions. 

Some people find new friends on social media and have fun in communication.

However, using social media can be a safety threat if not used appropriately. 

Social Media As A Distraction

Social media use can increase your chances of being in a car accident. 

Social media and driving are a deadly combination. 

Thousands of injuries and deaths occur yearly in the country from car accidents due to distracted driving. Multitasking leads to distracted driving. 

Multitasking while operating a vehicle is dangerous and can severely impair your ability to drive safely. 

Negative aspects of multitasking include lack of attention, susceptibility to errors, and memory distortions. Using social media while driving can cause a driver to run a red light, miss a stop sign, or speed. All these things can lead to a crash. 

With everyone owning a cell phone and accessing social media platforms in Louisiana, distracted driving incidents have only increased. The use of social media among drivers in the Pelican State is a significant threat to road safety. 

Most of these drivers talk or text while driving. Surprisingly, however, many use social media platforms like Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, or Snapchat. 

Some dangerous social media activities that Louisiana drivers engage in include taking selfies for social posts behind the wheel, recording passengers in the backseat or passenger seat, live streaming while driving, and scrolling through newsfeeds or social media feeds. 

Taking photos, talking, texting, playing games, and checking social media are highly distracting activities and cause a driver to lose control of the vehicle if something suddenly comes across the road. Louisiana law prohibits drivers from using handheld devices while behind the wheel. It is illegal for a driver to use their cell phone to text or scroll through social media feeds.

The use of social media can be harmful to you before and after a car crash.

Social Media As A Source Of Evidence for Proving Or Refuting Liability In Car Accidents

While your claim or lawsuit is pending, you must be careful about your social media use. Avoid posting images of your car damage or injuries after the accident. The at-fault party can use these posts to prove you didn’t suffer much from the accident. They might argue that you were in good enough shape to take and post photographs after the accident.

Social media platforms can significantly impact the outcome of a car accident claim, either good or bad. Auto insurance companies are not on your side. They may not make getting the compensation you deserve easier for you.

Insurance adjusters use social media to minimize or deny claims. 

In the age of social media, insurance companies can go to any extent to anticipate, quantify, and lower the value of claims. Following a crash, insurance adjusters often look at social media to determine a victim’s past injuries or actions to influence the payout amount.

Filing a claim or lawsuit opens up your past to scrutiny. 

Insurers often use evidence obtained from social media to assess accidents and claims, evaluating victims’ posts over time to build an accurate narrative regarding the damages sustained.

You should only reveal sensitive information to your attorney, not anyone else. 

Victims must know how their social media posts can harm their accident claims. They should not indulge in activities that contradict the severity of their injuries.

Bart Bernard Injury Lawyers: Your Partners in Life’s Legal Challenges

Social media is a valuable tool for personal injury lawyers. It helps them connect with clients and share information about their cases. 

At Bart Bernard Injury Lawyers, our car accident attorneys may prove a defendant’s social media use by checking the time of recent posts. The negligent driver may have posted drinking or partying snaps online before the accident.

Another common type of social media evidence used in car accident cases is witnesses taking pictures or videos of the accident and posting such content online. This evidence can help determine the speed of the vehicles, the position of the cars, and the actions of the parties involved. Witnesses can also provide information about the drivers’ behavior, such as speeding or following too closely. This type of evidence can be extremely helpful in establishing fault in an accident.

Sometimes, posting updates, pictures, and videos online, especially on social media, can tremendously affect our lives. 

Insurance adjusters and defense lawyers will scrutinize your social media activity to search for evidence that can weaken your case. 

Your personal injury lawyer can advise you on using your social media accounts during a pending case. 

A harmless post can become a damaging piece of evidence in court in no time. It can eventually lower your case’s validity, credibility, and value. 

If you have recently suffered injuries in an accident at the hands of a driver anywhere in Louisiana, let our personal injury law firm fight for your rights to help you obtain the compensation you deserve.

Contact us today to schedule a free case evaluation.