In the modern age of connectivity and social media, it’s common to share various aspects of your life online. However, if you’ve been involved in a car accident, there are certain things that you should never share. The Colorado Springs car accident attorneys are here to share some things to avoid posting and why this is so critical:
1. Details About the Accident
You might feel an urge to share details about the accident after it happens, but doing so can have negative repercussions. Sharing specifics could unintentionally provide insurance companies or legal opposition a picture that may not completely reflect what happened. Your statements could be found and can certainly be used against you.
2. Injuries and Medical Information
Referring to your injuries or current medical condition on social media is another crucial aspect to avoid. Anything you mention in this context may later be misconstrued by insurers or other parties involved as being inconsistent with official medical records presented during claim negotiations or at trial.
You may not be aware of all of your injuries and what treatment is needed until many months or even years after the accident, as injuries can take time to manifest, and treatment could take a long time. Sharing information too soon could jeopardize the compensation you can obtain.
3. Assumptions About Fault
It’s imperative not to share any personal opinions or assumptions regarding who was at fault – especially if you think you share some responsibility for the incident. Even if your assumption is correct, admitting any amount of guilt can influence and complicate how insurance adjusters decide liability, which has a direct impact on how much compensation you can recover. It’s best to allow law enforcement, insurance adjusters, and attorneys determine and argue about fault.
4. Legal Strategy or Case Details
It’s in your best interest to keep every aspect of your attorney’s plans, ideas, and conversations you’ve had with them to yourself. These details might give the other party valuable insights into your strategy, thus weakening your claim.
5. Photos of You Engaging in Physical Activities or on Vacation
After an accident, you should never post photos or videos that signify high energy activity, physical wellness, or going on a vacation. Doing so can be used as evidence suggesting that your injuries are not as severe as you claimed. Insurers want to save money and any posted material demonstrating physical wellness after an accident will certainly be used against you.
The urge to connect and share life updates on social media is quite common, but when dealing with any type of legal proceedings, including insurance claims, it’s critical for you to refrain from posting anything about the incident.
What Happens if You Admit Fault?
In Colorado, personal injury claims are governed by the principles of comparative negligence. State law stipulates that even if you admit partial fault for an accident, it doesn’t exclude you from seeking damages completely, provided your portion of blame is not greater than 49%.
However, any compensation you do collect will be reduced by your percentage of fault.
- “Contributory negligence shall not bar recovery in any action by any person or his legal representative to recover damages for negligence resulting in death or in injury to person or property, if such negligence was not as great as the negligence of the person against whom recovery is sought, but any damages allowed shall be diminished in proportion to the amount of negligence attributable to the person for whose injury, damage, or death recovery is made.”
For example, you’re involved in a car accident, and it leads to $100,000 in damages. After thorough evaluation, it is decided that you were 30% at fault for what happened while the other party was 70% responsible. Even though you shared some blame, you can still recover compensation for your loss – $70,000 (70% of $100,000 damages).
If you need help with any type of accident claim, your best chance at recovering compensation is to work with an experienced personal injury lawyer. Contact our personal injury attorneys in Colorado Springs today to schedule a free consultation.
