Broken legs and Facebook posts

secretly photograph a plaintiff where he lives.

The detective may photograph the injured person from his car, looking for some sign that the person is not really injured.

Then insurance company says, “Hey, you bobbled onto the porch without crutches to get your mail. Your injury can’t be that bad.” And just like that, your case for compensation is diminished.

There still are investigators in insurance cases. But instead of parking in front of your house, they may visit your Facebook or Instagram or Twitter accounts, looking for something – anything – that will call your case into question.

‘You look like you’re having a good time’

Think of the fuss they will make if you broke your leg in a slip-and-fall or bike accident, and they find pictures uploaded to your Facebook site showing:

• A picture dated the day after your accident appears to show you partying with friends. The picture doesn’t show the heavy cast on your leg.
• A post from you that says, “I’m excited to be at your wedding this weekend.” They don’t know you need two friends to get you up to the steps to the church.

It is easy to imagine investigators finding something on a blog or post that can be twisted to make you look like you have committed fraud.

So what is the best solution? It is fairly dramatic.

1. 1. Shut down your blog.
   2. Suspend your Facebook account.

If this is too much for you –

1. Change your settings to minimize who has access to your page.
2. Watch what others post on your page – both text and photos. You don’t want your friends, for instance, making jokes about your injury.
3. Be careful on ALL your social media outlets. Twitter, Tumblr, LinkedIn, YouTube, wherever.

If your case is important to you – and we know it is – this extra degree of discipline is necessary. Remember: in an anonymous realm like the Internet, you don’t really know who anyone is. Don’t give adversary ammunition to use against you!