The new surveillance: What video surveillance and social networking sites have in common

Insurance companies like to hire private investigators to take live video surveillance of injury claimants just before, or just after, they have testified at oral discovery about how badly they've been injured and all the things they can't do.  Most video surveillance is inconclusive and boring, but it can create problems.  It can capture an injured person chopping wood in the backyard, but it can't capture how badly that person "pays for it" when he gets back inside the house.

Perhaps more dangerous to accident victims are the social networking sites such as MySpace or Facebook.  Be very careful about your presence on these sites.  Be wary about posting photographs that could be viewed as inconsistent with claims of physical limitation.  Before you post something or say something, think about how it might look when you are confronted by it later at discovery or at trial.  Insurance companies can get access to everything on your networking site.  Tell the truth - but think before you act and be on guard.

I have warned about the dangers of social media before.  Halifax injury lawyer John McKiggan has put out an alert about facebook being used against personal injury victims as well.  This warning can't be given too often!