Facebook, Twitter, My Space, etc. (collectively referred to as social media sites) are popular with people of all age groups. Long term disability insurance companies and their attorneys use these sites also, to get information about YOU. There may be valuable information about you on these sites that could severely damage your long term disability claim.

The long term disability insurance adjuster’s job is to pay you as little as possible or to even deny or terminate your claim. Social media sites and blogs can help the adjusters do their job. The adjuster will try to disprove the extent and nature of your disability by viewing your activities depicted on the internet. Why do long term disability insurance companies look at social media sites?

  1. Doctors rely, in part, on your history and complaints in rendering an opinion about your diagnosis. The long term disability carrier will use the social media site to confirm or disprove that your activities and life style depicted on the internet support the information you gave your doctors that formed the basis of their opinions.
  2. The long term disability insurance company asks you to complete Activities of Daily Living forms, reporting your level of activity. If you say you cannot walk distances and there is a picture of you at Disney on your social media site, you have a problem.
  3. If you claim you are depressed or withdrawn, the long term disability carrier will use social media sites to confirm or disprove whether you interact normally with friends and family.

Pictures, videos, personal information, posts and comments can damage or even destroy your long term disability case. Do not post anything you would not feel comfortable having the insurance company or judge read. Check your privacy settings immediately and block anyone you do not know from viewing your personal pages. Search your name on all sites and on Google. See what comes up. Take appropriate action to remove photos which could be detrimental to your claim. Do not accept any friend request or answer any emails from people you do not know.