About 3 out of every 4 regular Internet users in the U.S. has at least one social media account that they regularly use, according to the Pew Research Center. While this speaks to the growing popularity of social media, it also reveals just how much social media has become ingrained in people’s lives.
Of course, there can be various benefits to having and using social media – from staying connect with loved ones to using it for marketing purposes. However, when people who use social media are also involved in personal injury lawsuits, it can be important for them to realize that:
Taking a look at current case law regarding social media in personal injury cases can shed some light on this issue. One recently notable case is Nucci v. Target Corp., American Cleaning Contracting, and First Choice Building Maintenance, Inc. (No. 4D14-138 Jan. 7, 2015 4th DCA), which involved a woman suing Target after slipping and falling in one of their stores.
While the plaintiff in this case has claimed various severe physical injuries and was seeking compensation for the treatment of these injuries (and other losses), attorneys for Target sought to gain access to the plaintiff’s Facebook account during the deposition process.
The plaintiff fought this by arguing that, because she had certain privacy settings on her account, she had a reasonable expectation of privacy regarding these posts; therefore, the defendant should not have access to any of them. The defendant, however, claimed that:
Ultimately:
When it comes to your social media accounts and personal injury cases, the bottom line is that:
Have you been hurt as a result of negligence, carelessness or recklessness? If so, it’s time to contact the trusted Littleton personal injury attorneys at Bahr and Kreidle. For more than 30 years, our lawyers have been fighting on behalf of injured people and aggressively standing up against injustice, inequality and intolerance. To find out more about how we can help you, meet with us for a free, no obligations initial consultation. To set up a meeting, call us at (303) 794-7422 or email us using the contact form on this page.
From our law offices in Littleton, we represent clients throughout Colorado, including in the Denver Metro Area, Arapahoe County, Adams County, Jefferson County and the cities of Lakewood, Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree, Castle Rock, Westminster, Centennial and Aurora.
