Why social media posts could be to blame for your insurance claims being denied
Could your social media activity harm your chances of getting an insurance claim approved? Find out what posting online can be risky, and how to protect yourself.
It’s not uncommon to share the ups and downs of your life on social media today. However, your online activity can become a silent liability when pursuing an insurance claim, potentially undermining your case without you realizing.
How? Because insurance companies routinely scrutinize claimants’ social media for evidence to discredit claims – with some success. Indeed, a recent KFF analysis showed that insurers denied one out of five (19%) of in-network claims and 37% of out-of-network claims in 2023 – hitting privately insured individuals and frequent healthcare users hardest.
This denial pattern hits hardest among people with private insurance and frequent healthcare users, with employer-sponsored plans seeing 21% of claims rejected – with high users facing denials 27% of the time compared to just 14% for those with fewer healthcare visits.
If you wouldn’t say it to a lawyer, don’t post online
According to Ted Kaplun, Principal Attorney and Founding Partner of KaplunMarx, social media has become a critical battleground in personal injury claims.
And posting publicly about your accident is one of the most devastating mistakes you can make during a personal injury case. Many of Ted’s clients are shocked to discover that even their innocent vacation photos or casual status updates become powerful evidence against them.
Insurance companies methodically scan social media for contradictions to your claim. Even posts from friends tagging you in activities can destroy your case. Remember this rule: if you wouldn’t say it directly to the insurance company’s lawyer, don’t post it online – period.
Six things you need to do to protect an insurance claim
With this in mind, here are six things Ted recommends you do on social media to help protect any insurance claim you might be making.
1) Implement a social media blackout
The safest approach is to pause all social media activity until your claim is resolved. Stop sharing updates about your daily life, as anything you say can be twisted and used against you.
Especially avoid posting about your accident, injuries, treatment, or recovery progress if this isn’t practical. Remember that timestamps, location tags, and activity descriptions can all be used against you, even when they seem unrelated to your injury.
2) Review your past digital activities
Double-check your existing social media presence before filing a claim. Remove or restrict access to potential posts that could be misconstrued. Pay special attention to photos or clips showing physical activities, location check-ins, or comments about your health status.
3) Set your privacy settings to the highest level
Many claimants mistakenly believe private accounts are safe from scrutiny. Courts can order access to private accounts during discovery, and friends may inadvertently share your content with others. Adjust privacy settings to the highest level, but recognize that true privacy doesn’t exist online.
4) Decline new follower requests
Just to be safe, practice extreme caution about accepting new friend or follower requests during your claim period, particularly from people you don’t recognize or have limited mutual connections with. There is a chance that insurance investigators commonly use fake profiles to gain access to restricted content.
5) Ask people no to post about you
Brief friends and family about your situation and ask them not to post about you, tag you in photos, or discuss your activities online. Even well-meaning posts from others could be misinterpreted and can damage your claim if they contradict your reported limitations.
6) Document everything offline
Keep detailed private records of your injuries, treatment, and recovery process in secure, offline formats. This creates a reliable record without the risks associated with digital sharing.
Social media can be a dangerous trap when making insurance claims
The disconnect between social media culture and legal reality creates a dangerous trap for claimants. People naturally share positive moments while omitting struggles – posting about a ‘great day’ despite being in pain or sharing a smiling photo taken during a brief period of comfort. Insurance companies exploit this selective sharing to paint a misleading picture.
Maintaining strict digital discipline throughout your claim process protects you from these sophisticated surveillance tactics. While nothing online is private, restricting access to your posts makes it harder for insurance companies to find potentially damaging content. The most effective strategy is treating all online platforms as public spaces where insurance investigators actively watch.
