Pennsylvania Workers' Compensation Lawyers Blog
It seems like common sense, but there are still some people that don’t realize the power that posting photos to Facebook has to affect their lives…and in some cases, their pocketbooks.
Take the case of an Ohio man who was injured on the job and began collecting workers’ comp benefits. After his accident, he relocated to Arizona and continued to collect WC benefits. But when the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Comp received a tip that the man was doing construction work in Arizona while still receiving WC benefits, they opened an investigation. They checked with Arizona state officials and found that the man was working for a company as a rescue technician. They also found pictures of him wearing repelling gear and doing repelling work.
As a result, the man paid $6,000 at sentencing and was given a 6-month suspended jail sentence, as long as he pays the balance of the restitution and investigative costs by the due date.
Facebook and other social media can be fine when used to catch up with family and friends. But it’s important to remember that information and photos that you post to these sites can often be viewed by an audience far larger than your closest family and friends. If you’ve been injured on the job, you may be tempted to follow the advice of your employer when applying for workers’ comp benefits. But talking with an attorney who has years of experience handling workers’ comp cases can help alleviate the red tape and can also make you aware of even simple things that might hurt your case and the benefits you receive. Contact the workers’ comp attorneys at O’Connor Law if you have questions about your injury and the process of applying for benefits.