Can you be sued because of something you tweet or post on Facebook? You bet you can. And people all over the country are finding it out firsthand.

Here is an example. A South Carolina restaurant in Myrtle Beach sued after a reviewer said she found a worm in her sushi. The restaurant said it never served the customer and had a video to prove it.

Here is the most important part of any such lawsuit. Is what you say or write true? Truth is the best defense, and your right to write or speak it is protected by Alabama law.

So if you are going to share your thoughts on social media, my advice is to stick to the facts. If your engine fell out on I-10, tell what happened and the repair service that was supposed to fix your car. Don’t add anything that you can not prove.  Likewise, if you are going to say your boyfriend cheated on you, you had better be able to prove that he did — and not that you just thought he did.

Defamation is the term lawyers use to cover both spoken (slander) and written (libel) communication. It is a civil wrong and not a criminal one. That means you will probably not go to jail, but it could cost you a lot of money.

It might interest you that what you say about politicians is held to a different legal standard than what you say about an average citizen. But I would still recommend that you make it truthful.

If you suffer a personal injury like an auto accident, slip and fall or on-the-job injury , you can talk to us at the Law Firm of Eiland and Ritchie for free. We want to help you get back on your feet. We are working remotely mostly but are always available.

Also, join us on NBC 15 LawCall here in Mobile every Sunday night at 10:30 right after the news. We are taking a fall break and will offer 5-minute segments for the rest of the year and a live call-in segment every Monday on NBC 15 at around lunchtime.

Allen Ritchie

Alabama Personal Injury Lawyer

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