Social Media Accounts Are Being Used To Deny Long-Term Disability Claims

Social media has become how we share our lives with the world. Long gone are the days of printing and mailing pictures to family and friends. Now, with the click of a button, you can share photos or even live stream videos on social media, which creates a way for families to stay connected even if they live on the other side of the country.

But what if we told you that your social media activity could play a role in your long-term disability claim? It’s true. Your disability insurance company can use your social media accounts against you. More and more frequently, social media accounts are being used to deny long-term disability claims.

How Social Media Accounts Can Lead To Claim Denials

When you have a significant disability, it can be depressing. You may have many bad days that you don’t even want to get out of bed. But you may want to get dressed and leave the house on the good days. Most doctors encourage you to do this as well to combat depression and get your body moving.

Use caution when selecting your activities and using social media to share this information. During the disability claims process, an investigator may follow you and videotape your activities. This is legal and can be used in court against you.

Example: Margie has been diagnosed with degenerative disc disease and suffers tremendous back pain. She has many bad days where she can’t even leave the house, but one day, Margie feels good and decides to attend a free concert in a park nearby. She only attends for a few hours but shares a picture of her with friends enjoying music at the park. Her profile is not private, so it can be used against her in court.

The insurance company will claim that if Margie can go out with friends, she is well enough to work. Although Margie knows that this is not true, and she followed her doctors’ orders by getting out of the house for a few hours, the insurance company will use this as an excuse to deny her claim.

How To Protect Yourself From Social Media Surveillance

Deactivate Your Account

The number one way to protect yourself is to deactivate your accounts. When you deactivate your account, your information will no longer appear in searches, and you will no longer be tagged in photos, which could cause problems.

Stay Off Social Media

If you do not want to deactivate your account, do your best not to post on social media. This way, you can still see pictures of family and friends. Be careful when you comment on others’ posts or groups as well. Investigators are sneaky and will try to find your activity in any way possible.

Set Your Profile To Private

Change your privacy settings for your profile and your posts only to be able to be viewed by family and friends that you trust. Be careful when accepting friend requests; even if they look like someone you know, it could be a fake account used by an investigator to gain access to your information. Your friends can tag you in their photos even with a private profile. If their profile is public, anyone can see the pictures you are tagged in.

Ask Your Friends Not To Tag You

If you don’t want to close your account temporarily, ask your friends not to tag you in photos or posts if you are having a good day and decide to attend a function. Be alert when people are taking pictures and try not to appear in them if possible.

Ortiz Law Firm Can Help You Appeal a Long-Term Disability Denial

Insurance investigators will try to discredit you by taking advantage of your good days. Try to avoid social media as much as possible by deleting your accounts, setting your profile to private, and asking your friends not to tag you. Stay alert and use social media cautiously to avoid jeopardizing your disability claim. Using an experienced disability attorney will help you protect yourself against insurance investigators.

If your claim has been denied or terminated based on social media surveillance, we can help. The Ortiz Law Firm is based in Florida, but represents claimants nationwide. You can receive a free case review by calling (888) 321-8131. We can help you evaluate your claim to determine if you can access long-term disability benefits and how to proceed with your claim.