Surveillance & Social Media in Utah Workers' Comp Cases

You filed a workers\' comp claim. From that moment, you may be watched. Insurance carriers hire private investigators and scrape your social media looking for evidence that you\'re not as hurt as you say.

It\'s legal. It happens routinely on cases above $25,000. Here\'s what they look for, and how to protect yourself without lying or hiding.

The short version

• Insurance carriers hire surveillance on most serious WC claims.
• They film you in public places, scrape your social media, and watch your home from public streets.
• The goal: prove your activities contradict your claimed limitations.
• You don\'t need to hide — you need to be consistent.

What surveillance looks like

Typical methods used in Utah:

• Physical surveillance — investigator in a car or truck filming from a public street. Hours per day, multiple days, often during your scheduled medical appointments.
• Social media monitoring — Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X. They look at your tagged photos too, not just your posts.
• Activity check — investigators may pose as customers or contractors to engage you in conversation.
• Background check — gym memberships, past WC claims, social club memberships.

What they\'re looking for

Anything that contradicts what you told the doctor or what your treating notes say. Examples:

• You told the doctor you can\'t lift 10 pounds. Video shows you carrying groceries.
• You claimed you can\'t sit for more than 20 minutes. Video shows you driving for 45 minutes.
• Your Instagram shows you skiing, hiking, dancing — at any time after the injury.
• You claimed you can\'t work but your TikTok shows you helping a friend move furniture.

What to do about social media

1. Lock everything down

Set Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X to private. Limit who can see your stories. Hide your friends list. Turn off location tagging.

2. Stop posting about activities

Even normal stuff gets weaponized. "Family BBQ" with you holding a beverage becomes "claimant can lift, no functional limitation." Just don\'t post during the claim.

3. Audit your past posts

Take down or hide posts that show you doing physical activities, even from before the injury. The carrier doesn\'t care about dates.

4. Talk to friends and family

Ask them not to tag you in active photos during your claim. Most will understand.

5. Never delete posts you know they\'ve seen

Spoliation of evidence is a problem. If you suspect they have screenshots, hide instead of delete.

What to do about physical surveillance

Be consistent every day

You can\'t know which day they\'re filming. Treat every day as if you\'re on camera. If you told the doctor you can\'t lift 25 pounds, don\'t lift 25 pounds at the grocery store ever.

Don\'t fake worse than you are

Exaggerating in the parking lot when you walk fine inside the doctor\'s office destroys your case. Be real.

Have someone help with errands

If you legitimately can\'t carry heavy groceries, don\'t. Get help. That\'s consistent with your claim.

Common mistakes

Mistake 1: Posting "feeling better today!" updates

Even small positive updates get used. "Patient self-reports significant improvement on social media" goes into the IME report.

Mistake 2: Vacation photos

Beach photos, ski trips, theme parks — golden material for the carrier. Even if you sat on the beach all week, the photo doesn\'t show that.

Mistake 3: Trying to be tough

Workers often push through pain to mow the lawn or play with kids. If the doctor restricted you, follow the restrictions. Surveillance video of you mowing the lawn destroys the restriction.

The bigger picture

Surveillance doesn\'t mean you\'re doing something wrong. It means your case is worth enough that they\'re investing in it. That\'s actually a good signal about your settlement value.

Run your numbers in the CVR Quick Calculator. If it\'s above $25,000, assume you\'re being watched. Act accordingly — not from fear, just from consistency.