When you are injured at work, you may be frustrated on multiple levels. After seeing a doctor regarding your injuries, the first thing you should do is consult a personal injury attorney about your unique situation. They can help you decide what your next moves should be and help you fight for your rights. No matter what you do, avoid making these common social media mistakes after the accident at work.
Mistake #1: Venting About the Accident or Other Related Drama
It's only natural to be extremely upset after being involved in an accident that leaves you injured. However, never take those feelings public. Making social media rants can be used against you by the other party in court, and it can fuel the fire of others who are also angry about the accident. When tempted to vent on social media, just write your feelings down in a personal diary or call a friend.
Mistake #2: Posting Happy Selfies in the Aftermath of the Accident
Sometimes it can be a really bad idea to post a smiling selfie. If you post one in the aftermath of an accident, people can make assumptions about you. It could be that you take a photo of the one smile that you manage to give over the course of 24 hours, but people can assume that you are posting a preening smile because you got away with making a false claim. Avoid making yourself vulnerable to false assumptions and leave the selfies off social media in the days, weeks, and sometimes months after the accident.
Mistake #3: Assuming That Your Privacy Settings Protect Your Post
Because many social media websites offer you multiple privacy settings on individual posts, you may feel safe if you make a post "friends only" or make it strictly visible to only 20 friends. However, the truth is, when you post anything on social media, you must assume that it is public property from that moment on no matter how strict your privacy settings are. You never truly know how others may copy and screenshot your post, and you don't know who they may share it with.
Finally, keep in mind that you need to think carefully about every decision you make that's related to the accident at work. If in doubt, ask your personal injury attorney for advice on whether you should post something that you really want to say. When you take precautions when posting to social media, you can protect yourself and increase the odds that you will get the compensation that you deserve. Contact a firm like The Fitzpatrick Law Firm to learn more.
