How Social Media Can Ruin Your Workers' Compensation Claim
If you have been hurt at work then you want to make sure you file a report right away. You also want to get in to see the doctor as soon as they can fit you in. If you have been seriously injured, then you should take a trip to the emergency room to get immediate treatment, then do a follow-up visit with your regular doctor. You also want to call an attorney so you know that you are doing everything correctly and not doing anything to jeopardize your claim. A workers' compensation attorney can help you with all aspects of getting workers compensation. However, the one thing they can't do is babysit your social media accounts and they can destroy your claim if you aren't careful. Read here to get an understanding of how your social media accounts can directly affect the outcome of your claim:
You may talk openly about your day online
If you are active on social media then there is a good chance that you talk openly about your day either on your page, a friend or family members page or even in some groups you are an active member in. While this may be okay normally, it can cause you problems if you are going through a worker's compensation claim.
The things you say online can be used in an attempt to prove that you aren't as hurt as you claim you are. Even if you were exaggerating online, or not telling the whole story, the information you typed may be used against you and it can look bad and be bad for your case. For example, if a friend wrote that they walked a mile today, and you respond with, "I walked two" kidding around, this can be used against you if you are claiming that you injured your knee at work and are having a hard time standing and walking.
You may post pictures online
Another thing that can get you in trouble with your workers' compensation claim is posting pictures online in the middle of your claim. If you are undergoing treatment for a bad back, but you post a picture of you picking up a big bag of groceries, it can look bad and they may try to use it against you. What the picture may not show is that the entire bag was filled with bread products making it much lighter than it appeared in the picture.
Conclusion
For the reasons listed here, it's best if you be extremely careful with everything you post online and have your security settings on high, so only your friends and family can see what you post. Even then, you still want to watch everything you put up.
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