A yoga teacher has responded to accusations of insurance fraud after posting photos of herself performing headstands on social media, despite claiming to suffer from neck pain following a car accident in 2017. Chloe Geraghty, 28, settled a High Court case last week related to the incident, which she asserts resulted in lasting neck and shoulder pain.
Originally from Dublin and now residing in Spain, Geraghty stated in court that her Instagram account features her engaging in various yoga poses to maintain interest among her followers. “I don’t have any regrets because I was in the right and I got the outcome I deserved,” she commented.
Geraghty explained that her ability to perform such exercises safely is the result of seven years of dedicated yoga training, physiotherapy, and injections. “I’m delighted to put it all to an end now, but I’m obviously a little disappointed by the way the case has been portrayed,” she added.
Claiming compensation for an accident that was not her fault, Geraghty emphasized the significant financial investment she made in treating her injuries. She expressed surprise at the attention her case garnered, stating, “I didn’t think anyone would be interested because it was just a personal injury claim.”
She acknowledged that the storyline surrounding her as a yoga teacher contributed to the public interest. Geraghty noted that there was a considerable time gap between the accident and her online yoga videos, highlighting the extensive effort she invested in recovery.
The accident occurred on June 8, 2017, when Geraghty, then a personal shopper, was rear-ended after exiting the M50. She contended that the impact caused her neck and shoulder injuries, while the defendant’s legal team described the collision as “of no consequence” and questioned her claims of injury. Geraghty has steadfastly maintained that she continues to experience pain.
Since beginning her yoga teaching career in 2021, Geraghty has shared images of herself performing various poses, including a headstand in which she cautioned her followers not to attempt the movement if they were dealing with neck issues. “I wasn’t trying to hide anything. It was online for 20,000 people to see,” she stated, emphasizing her transparency about her condition.
“I had a personal injury and I was compensated for it. It’s not funny,” Geraghty said, expressing frustration over the way some commentators portrayed her situation. She asserted that a skilled yoga instructor knows how to perform headstands without placing undue pressure on the neck, as the weight is supported by the arms.
Despite the backlash, Geraghty has made a conscious effort to limit her engagement with social media reactions. “I got a few people commenting on Instagram asking ‘how’s your neck?’ But I haven’t looked too much. I’m not going down that rabbit hole,” she explained.
Disappointed by suggestions that she is contributing to rising insurance rates, Geraghty stated, “I would hate to think that I was having a negative impact on anybody else. I don’t live my life that way.”
In her concluding remarks, Ms. Justice Leonie Reynolds noted that there was no medical basis to support the claim of a five-year injury, determining it to be “a two-year injury at best.” Upon settlement of the case, she vacated an earlier Circuit Court order that had dismissed the proceedings.
Geraghty advised others in similar circumstances to “do what you want to do,” asserting that she was not ashamed to share her story in court. “I knew I was telling the truth. I wasn’t hiding anything,” she said.
Now focusing on launching a yoga app and retreat, Geraghty acknowledged that while she still experiences pain, yoga has played a significant role in managing her condition. “The injury has brought me down a path I never really expected. Moving away from the gym and more into yoga and holistic wellness has actually turned out to be the best thing that has ever happened,” she concluded.
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