Social media postings could derail your worker’s comp claim

We use social media to keep our family and friends updated with what is going on in our lives. It’s a great way to stay connected, even when you’re miles apart.

But it’s important to remember that it’s not just the people you know who see what you post. There may be times when someone you don’t know is viewing your online activity and that person may be employed by your workers comp firm.

Be careful about what you share

Workers comp insurance aims to provide benefits to injured workers through compensation for lost wages and medical expenses. When you file a worker’s comp claim, you’re saying that your injury or illness is preventing you from carrying out the regular duties required by your job. Therefore, you need to be provided with a lighter workload or time off to recover.

So, any activity that appears to contradict your claim can be used to deny your claim. For investigators, social media posts provide significant information that they can use against you.

For example, if you claim you have limited mobility due to a back injury and your social media posts show you water skiing or working on a home renovation project, the insurance company could claim you’re not as injured as you claim. Even something as innocent as saying, “I feel great today,” can be taken as evidence of your recovery.

To prevent your social media posts from being used as evidence, consider putting a pause on all updates. If you feel that’s not possible, then follow these tips:

• Tighten your security settings so that only trusted friends and family can see what you post. But it’s important to remember that someone you know can share your post on their page or take screenshots.
• Don’t accept any new friend requests
• Avoid discussing any details about your injury, treatment or claim status
• Before sharing anything, take a few moments to think about how the content could be interpreted. If it could be used against you in any way, don’t post it.

If you are unsure how social media might affect your claim, speak with someone who can help ensure your online activity doesn’t undermine your claim.