Readers in the Boston area may be interested in a recent workers' compensation appeals case that addressed the issue of whether Facebook or Myspace photos should be permissible as evidence in court.

The case involved a 27-year-old man who worked in a warehouse showroom and sustained a hernia in March 2009 when a refrigerator fell on him in a workplace accident. He received temporary disability benefits for more than one year, and after undergoing three surgeries to treat the injury, he was applying for an extension of the workers' compensation benefits due to what he claimed was "excruciating pain."

The case took place in Arkansas, and he appealed after the Arkansas Compensation Commission denied his application for an extension, asking that the appeals court ban from evidence Facebook and MySpace photos of him partying.

The young man's lawyers argued that the photos were not related to his medical needs and that the admission of the photos was a disgrace to workers' compensation systems and the court.

However, the appeals court agreed with the workers' compensation commission, which found that no additional medical care was needed and that there was no wrongdoing by the court in allowing the photos.

The photos, which depicted the man drinking and partying, contradicted his claims of excruciating pain, according to the court.

Much can be inferred from photographs, though of course they do not always tell the whole story. For this and other reasons, Massachusetts residents who are pursuing workers' compensation benefits may want to be careful in choosing what exactly is posted to social media websites.

Source: ABC News, "Court Okays Facebook Party Photos in Workers Comp Claim," Lyneka Little, Feb. 3, 2012