Injured Workers on Facebook
We’ve previously discussed how the insurance company will likely hire a private investigator to follow you around (I personally have been videotaped meeting with a client!) However, one thing people may not realize is the impact that various social media outlets can have on their workers’ compensation claim and specifically what happens with injured workers on Facebook.
Social media has changed the way we interact with people. It helps us stay in touch with people and reconnect. Unfortunately, it can also be used by defense attorneys to take things out of context in an attempt to reduce the value of your case. Time and time again I have seen where things are dramatically taken out of context and used to pressure claimants into settling their work comp claims or even deny them entirely. Things you may not think are damaging, such as a screen and time of you holding your grandma up to dance or even holding a friend’s golf club, can be dramatically taken out of context by defense attorneys. They may utilize the screenshots in an attempt to show that you are not injured or malingering. You may also
even encounter a defense attorney making a fake profile to friend you in order to gain access to your information. Moral of the story is any information can be taken out of context so be aware of that. And do not accept friend requests from people you do not know personally.
A ‘snapshot in time’ can always be misconstrued and taken out of context. Facebook is a prime example of this. For example, maybe you are injured but you do not mention on Facebook because you are private, you don’t want to talk about it or for whatever reason. But you are not completely incapacitated either. No doubt the insurance company will take any statements about activities (no matter how mundane) and make it appear that you are able to leap buildings with a single bound. They may even highlight your LACK of pain complaints.
The best advice I can give is to be careful about what information you share and who your audience is. Everything can be taken out of context and twisted in an attempt to stop paying you benefits. Don’t give the insurance company anything to hang their hat on!
