Morgantown WV Law Firm Posts a Strong Warning to Clients Regarding the Use of Social Media
Morgantown, WV (PRWEB) January 30, 2015 -- As a Morgantown, WV personal injury lawyer with over twenty years of experience, Attorney Jeff Robinette has published a strong warning about the use of Social Media sites during the course of any litigation. Many people do not realize the damage a person can do to his or her own case by posting seemingly "innocent" statements about their accident and activities following the accident.
It is a common practice during the discovery phase of a lawsuit to find out everything about a claimant: address, what kind of home and vehicles owned, details of employment, family members, and friends. If any facts are disclosed by or about a claimant on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, or other social media sites, one should be aware that the other side has been trained to locate this information and use it to discredit injury claims. Family and friends' posts are also sifted for information which may be helpful to the defense's case.
If any other damaging information is found in the public domain of the internet, it will also be used against a claim, no matter how legitimate that claim may be. Even if communications are set to private, some courts require disclosure of even private communications.
Do not make information of a personal nature available on social media during any type of lawsuit. The discovery of this information is lawful, and most likely will be found and used to discredit even the most serious and legitimate injury claim.
The best practice is to discuss your injuries with your lawyer -- only those communications are protected. Mr. Robinette's recommendation to his clients is to completely abstain from using the internet to discuss accidents, injuries, and personal activities during the course of litigation.
Jeff Robinette, Robinette Legal Group, PLLC, http://www.robinettelaw.com, +1 304-594-1800, [email protected]
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