Do Insurance Companies Check My Social Media Accounts?

In the days and weeks after a car accident, you naturally want to keep your friends and family updated. You might post a photo of your wrecked car on Instagram with a caption like, “So glad I walked away from this one!” or update your Facebook status to say, “Feeling a little better today, finally got out for a walk!” It seems harmless. It’s how we communicate in the 21st century.

But you must operate under one crucial assumption from the moment your accident happens: YES, the insurance company is almost certainly looking at your social media accounts.

Anything you post on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (X), TikTok, or any other public platform can and will be used against you by the insurance adjuster.¹ Adjusters are trained to use social media as a primary investigative tool to find any shred of evidence that can be used to question, devalue, or deny your personal injury claim.² For them, your social media profile is a treasure trove of potential contradictions.

Useful Information for You: In a Nutshell

• Yes, They Are Looking: Assume that everything you post publicly on social media will be seen by the insurance adjuster for the at-fault party.³
  
   
• Why They Look: They are searching for any evidence that contradicts your official claim, especially regarding the severity of your injuries and their impact on your life.⁴
  
   
• Innocent Posts Can Be Twisted: A photo of you smiling at a family dinner or a comment about going for a walk can be used as “proof” that your injuries aren’t as bad as you claim.⁵
  
   
• Lock Down Your Privacy Settings: Your first and most important step is to set all of your social media profiles to the highest possible privacy setting (private, friends only).
• The Golden Rule: When in Doubt, Don’t Post: The safest course of action is to stop posting on social media altogether until your claim is fully settled and closed.

What is the Insurance Adjuster Looking For?

The adjuster is hunting for one thing: contradiction. They want to find a post, a photo, a video, or even a comment that contradicts what you have formally stated about your injuries and their impact on your daily life.

Let’s look at some common examples:

• You claim a serious back injury that causes you constant pain, but you post a photo of yourself smiling at your child’s birthday party.
  • The Adjuster’s Argument: “The claimant says they are in constant pain, but this photo shows them enjoying a social event, which contradicts the severity of their alleged suffering.”⁶
    
     
• You claim you can no longer enjoy your hobbies, like hiking. A friend tags you in a photo from a year ago of a hiking trip, and you comment, “I miss this so much! Can’t wait to get back out there.”
  • The Adjuster’s Argument: “The claimant is clearly planning future physical activities, which suggests their injuries are not as limiting or permanent as they claim.”
• You have a whiplash injury. You post a simple photo of yourself in your car, turning your head slightly to look at the camera.
  • The Adjuster’s Argument: “The claimant is demonstrating a full range of motion in their neck, which is inconsistent with their medical reports of severe whiplash.”

These interpretations are unfair and taken out of context, but that doesn’t matter. These posts give the insurance company ammunition to reduce their settlement offer.⁷

Your Social Media Action Plan: A Post-Accident Checklist

You do not have to delete your accounts, but you must be incredibly disciplined.

1. Do Not Discuss the Accident: Do not post any details about your crash, your injuries, your medical treatment, or your conversations with the insurance company.⁸
   
    
2. Set ALL Profiles to Private, Immediately: Go into the settings on Facebook, Instagram, etc., and make sure that only approved friends or followers can see your content.⁹
   
    
3. Be Wary of New Friend/Follow Requests: Insurance investigators may send friend requests from fake profiles to gain access to your private feed.¹⁰ Do not accept requests from anyone you don’t personally know.
   
    
4. Instruct Friends and Family: Politely ask your close friends and family not to post photos of you or tag you in any posts until your case is resolved. Their public posts about you are fair game for the insurer.
5. Stop Posting Updates: The safest and simplest rule is to just stop posting altogether. A temporary break from social media is a small price to pay to protect the full value of your claim.¹¹
   
    

Your digital footprint is a permanent record. In the context of a personal injury claim, it’s a record that will be scrutinized for anything that can save the insurance company money. Be mindful, be private, and be safe online.

If you are pursuing a car accident claim in the Tacoma area, it’s crucial to have a professional who can guide you on all aspects of your case, including digital pitfalls. Search the Car Accident Lawyer Directory Tacoma to find an experienced local attorney who can advise you on how to protect yourself and manage your claim from start to finish.¹²

References

• Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC) – Filing a claim:Official guidance on the claims process, which involves an investigation by the insurer where they will gather information from various sources, including potentially public records and social media.https://www.insurance.wa.gov/what-do-if-you-have-accident-and-need-file-claim
• Washington State Bar Association (WSBA) – The Rules of Professional Conduct (Discovery):Legal rules of discovery allow opposing parties in a lawsuit to request relevant evidence, which in the modern era, explicitly includes social media profiles.13https://www.wsba.org/for-legal-professionals/rules-of-professional-conduct