Can Facebook and Twitter hurt your pocket book?

by Keith Wainauski on February 13, 2011

Over the past couple years with the massive growth of social media there has also been a large increase in “Defamation” lawsuits.  According to the legal dictionary the definition of “Defamation” is;

  • communication to third parties of false statements about a person that injure the reputation of or deter others from associating with that person

There are two basic types of defamation – one is slander the other libel.  The difference between them is slander involves the making of a defamatory statement verbally (Oral) – Libel involves the making of defamatory statements in a printed or fixed medium, such as a magazine or newspapers, blog sites, Twitter and Facebook.

It is the defamation lawsuits involving libel that have increased drastically over the past several years as more and  more people get on Facebook and twitter.  One inappropriate status update or tweet and you can find yourself in a courtroom defending yourself.  Though the burden of proving defamation is a tough case to win, it is getting more and more prevalent.  So much so that companies like Webroot have created a “Sobriety Test” (download a FREE version here) for social media sites that you can download right onto your computer.  View their tutorial here:

It’s very important that all of us be very careful about the things we say and “post” while using these social media sites.  In most cases a person’s homeowners or renters insurance policies liability insurance provides coverage for defamation cases.  It is important that you check with your agent/company to be sure.  Parents you need to be sure to talk with your kids that have Facebook/twitter accounts, and let them know the importance of being careful of what they post on these sites.
Hopefully this has gotten you thinking about what you post on the internet.  Of course the proper thing to do is to follow the old saying – “if you can’t say something good, don’t say anything at all”.  Give us your thoughts below.

More From Insurance Answers

Insurance Answers Recommends

Blog Margeting Related Posts Plugin For Insurance AnswersAsk Insurance Answers To Recommend Your Posts Blog Marketing Related Posts Plugin Counter

Share

{ 1 comment }

Super Bowl XLV Ticket give away!

by Keith Wainauski on January 12, 2011

Farmers Insurance is giving away tickets to the football season’s greatest event – Super Bowl XLV. The lucky winner will also receive round-trip airfare, two nights in a beautiful hotel and dinner at a first class restaurant. Click on the link, the Super Bowl Sweepstakes tab and enter for a chance to win! Only 7 days left to enter, good luck!! – http://bit.ly/g9aafV
 

More From Insurance Answers

Insurance Answers Recommends

Blog Margeting Related Posts Plugin For Insurance AnswersAsk Insurance Answers To Recommend Your Posts Blog Marketing Related Posts Plugin Counter

Share

{ 3 comments }

Insure you can Weather the Winter

January 5, 2011

      For those of us that live in the Southern states, Winter Driving Preparedness is a relatively new concept.  My family moved South of the Mason Dixon  line 10 years ago and we thought we left behind the snow and salt behind.  For the most part that has been true.  Southern winter has blue skies and [...]

Share
Read the full article →

Official “Santa don’t put a Ticket under the Tree” Blog

December 22, 2010

Holiday revelry, Holiday Hustle and Harried Bargain Hunters during the Holiday season makes for distracted drivers.   We, at Insurance Answers, want to help you avoid the aggravations that can result in making poor judgment when behind the wheel. 
Our first suggestion would be to “Get a plan”.  If you are at a party, get a Designated Driver !  [...]

Share
Read the full article →

Accidents? The BEST tips to make CLAIMS painless!

December 15, 2010

Accidents happen.  Who know’s why?  Maybe the road was icy, maybe the car behind you was following too close and hit you, maybe the heel of your 4 inch Manolo Blahnik’s got caught under the gas pedal.  But whatever the reason, that’s why we carry Auto Insurance.  We have put together some suggestions to for what [...]

Share
Read the full article →

Deep Frying your Thanksgiving Turkey? Things to be aware of –

November 24, 2010

Thanksgiving – a time filled with Family, fun, and usually lots of food.  The centerpiece of most meals is a delicious Turkey.  Over the years we’ve developed many ways to prepare these delectable birds.  From Brining  the Turkey, cooking the Turkey Frozen ,  Grilled  Turkey, Roasting  a Turkey, and finally deep frying  the Turkey.  No matter how you [...]

Share
Read the full article →

Back To School – Possible Savings and Potential Risks

August 8, 2010

With school starting for many families – and the expenses that come with the start of school – many are looking for ways to save some extra money.  One possibly place is with your college aged drivers.
That’s right – there might be some potential saving from your college student.  How you ask??  Many insurance carriers have [...]

Share
Read the full article →

Who’s going to insure the Easter Bunny?

April 4, 2010

Being that our main purpose is to answer insurance questions, on this special holiday, an obvious question arises -Who’s going to insure the Easter Bunny??
Because the Bunny works alone – he most likely won’t need workers comprehensive coverage.  But being in the delivery business stirs up many liability issues!!
Then there’s the question of how does [...]

Share
Read the full article →

Youthful Drivers – 5 Easy Ways to lower your Auto Insurance Costs

March 14, 2010

This post will provide you with practical ideas to save money on your auto insurance costs on young drivers.

Share
Read the full article →

Are we in a “Culture Crisis” or a “Healthcare Crisis”?

January 29, 2010

Recently I received a email from a friend of mine – and of course it was one of those which has been circulated since August 2009 when this letter was sent to the editor of the Clarion Ledger. As I read the letter I don’t know if I completely agree with Dr Jones, but I do agree we have a problem in to fix healthcare in the US, and I hope that we can get this thing figured out!

Share
Read the full article →

← Previous Entries