How to treat social media during a workers’ comp case

Social media continues to be an ever-present force in Coloradans’ lives. The number of adults in the United States who use Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest increased in 2018 over the previous year.

While a little social media use can be harmless fun, it can impact you in real life, especially if you have to deal with a workers’ comp claim. Insurance agencies will use whatever evidence they can to pay out less. Your injuries may be real, but you may hurt your case if you do any of the following while your claim is open.

Do not post anything about your physical life online

After an injury, you will likely need to go through physical therapy. That should be the only physical activity you discuss online. You do not want to post any pictures of you at the gym or playing sports. A claims adjuster could find that and use it in court to show you did not sustain injuries as serious as you suggested. The truth of the matter is that people can suffer injuries and still walk, run and lift. However, for the sake of simplicity, you should avoid showing how much you exercise on social media.

Do not accept any new friend requests during this time

While you wait for your claim to finalize, you should not accept any new friend requests unless you are certain you know the person. Claims adjusters will try to find out more about your life by sending you friend requests with fake profiles. This allows them to see your posts even if you have strict privacy settings. You should increase your privacy settings during this time, too.

Do not discuss your medical treatment or case

You should keep the details of your case private until everything is final. Even saying things like, “I feel so much better today” could serve as evidence your injuries have improved. In this age of social media, it is best to keep some matters private.

Category:

• WORKERS' COMPENSATION