ICBC Tip of the Month (January 2014)

Social Media websites like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter,  and Blogger are an excellent source for ICBC to investigate injury claimants. When you post something on social media the world can look at what you have posted. For example when you mention that you went on a trip, hiked a mountain, went on a skiing trip, enjoyed socializing with your friends, etc… ICBC will likely find this information and use it against you. 

How?   Imagine if ICBC downloads some photographs or posts of you doing an activity and then uses it in Court against you to say "you are not injured!"  Imagine if ICBC starts interviewing people that went to an event which you described on a website? Imagine if you talk about getting drunk with some friends? Imagine if you post something that may not be socially acceptable?

ICBC or their investigator could access your personal information by inventing a “friend” who then contacts you for access to your information. ICBC then thoroughly searches the sites, looking for photographs, notes, blogs, etc. Their purpose is to find photographs of a claimant in situations that could be damaging to the case in front of a judge or jury. 

Also, ICBC has been known to bring court applications to compel production of social media accounts  if they cannot access the information through the back door. Therefore, even if you maintain a limited number of friends and a tight privacy setting ICBC can get copies of your postings.

RULE OF THUMB: assume someone from ICBC or the defense team will looking into your social media presence. If it could be harmful to your case, don’t post it.


Do you have questions about your ICBC injury claim?  If so, click here arrange your free consultation with  ICBC Claims Lawyer Perminder S. Tung (Services provided for ICBC injury claims throughout all of BC)