Social Media Searches And What They Mean To Your Case
Social media websites are more popular than ever. With over 500 million active users, Facebook leads the way. But for as great as social media sites are for keeping in touch with friends and networking with prospective colleagues, they also invite the public into your life. And on occasion that might not be a good thing.
It is well known that employers and colleges take to the web to research a potential applicant, but now, insurance companies have started digging around online to help determine whether you are as injured as you say, or if you’re injured at all. Due to this new style of background checking, it’s important to assume everything done online is public and can be used against you.
Many people think that if they choose “private” for their settings that outsiders cannot view what they publish online. But the truth is that everything published online is recoverable and will never completely go away.
The simple truth is that private pages can be subpoenaed, or called into a court of law, and that posts online are often backed up by the hosting company and can recovered even after “deleted.” Insurance companies can use the social networking activity of defendants against them, even if their posts have nothing to do with their injury.
For example, an accident victim alleges he cannot participate in social activities after his accident, and yet there are post-accident pictures showing him doing exactly that. Or if an accident victim claims she is depressed when online there are pictures of her smiling and laughing after the accident. Or if there is a post on your profile about attending a party just before an accident, insurance companies may believe alcohol was involved.
In general, insurance companies will question a defendant’s credibility, and whatever settlement is ultimately reached, may be lower than what it could have been, if anything at all. If taken to court, the information can be used against the defendant at trial to make him seem less credible to a Judge or a Jury.
In addition to the defendant’s own social media page, pages of their friends and families are also recoverable. Therefore, it’s important to be aware of what others publish online. Just because your settings may be set to private, doesn’t mean your friend’s or their friends’ are.
Of course, limiting what you publish online is the best way to avoid people finding out about you. If you have photographs, videos, or other information online available to the public which may compromise your claim, we urge you to remove the pictures and data. Doing a simple internet search for your name is another way to monitor yourself. Because you never know when someone else is.
For more information on internet privacy and safety please visit: www.privacyrights.org.
Every winter, cold weather comes to Maine, and with it the risk of pipes freezing. When 
Driving during the winter can be dangerous. Roads are slick with snow and ice, and it gets dark early, limiting one’s visibility. And despite the fact that many Mainers have lived in-state for much of their lives and have experience with winter driving, it’s important to refresh oneself on how to best navigate the slippery season.
It’s inevitable that car accidents happen. Even with proper safety precautions, accidents happen daily. With hope, they won’t include you or a loved one, but they are, however, accidents. And the worst part is that they’re unpredictable.
After nine deaths in the 2009 season, the state of Maine is stressing snowmobile safety this winter. The safety campaign is asking snowmobilers to “ride right, ride smart, and ride responsibly.”
As the weather cools towards winter, colds, flu’s and virus’s become more and more prominent. And with the cooler temperature comes an increased amount of time spent indoors for Mainers, enhancing the opportunity for germs to spread throughout your home and office.
We’ve all heard the adage, “A Picture’s Worth A Thousand Words.” It resonates with vacations, childhood memories and family celebrations, telling the stories of time. A picture can be looked upon again and again to help recreate a moment and elicit past thoughts, feelings, and emotions. In similar proportions, a picture can help in the event of an accident.
Each year, there are approximately 170,000 car crashes in the United States involving pregnant women. As a result, as many as 400 unborn babies die annually, making it the biggest injury related danger to the unborn. And while there has long been a misconception that seatbelts can hinder the health of an unborn baby, a recent study found that nearly half, or approximately 200 babies, would be saved each year if mothers-to-be properly buckled up every time they get in a car.
With summer in full swing, many Mainers are putting their feet to use. Whether it’s before work, after work or on the way to work, walking is en vogue again.
In Maine, we don’t need an excuse like warm weather to fire up the grill. We’ll cookout come rain or shine, sleet or snow, morning, noon and night. But since the humidity is here, there’s nothing quite like a summer Bar-B-Q.
As summer starts to heat up and the temperature rises, so does the strength of the sun. And while the hot and humid season is short in Maine and reason enough to be outside at all times, it’s important to remember to protect yourself from the sun.
With warm weather on the horizon, Mainers are getting their boats ready for the upcoming boating season. Be it on the lake or in the open ocean, summer is the season to be on the water. But if floating freely is your idea of fun in the sun, then it’s important to take the necessary steps to ensure safety. And that’s exactly what 
Memorial Day in Maine unofficially marks the beginning of summer. The weather takes a turn for the better, the days are longer and the nights more mild. Many Mainers spend the long weekend cleaning out garages, watering perennials, and firing up the Bar-B-Q while watching the Indianapolis 500. The reason Memorial Day is a national holiday, however, isn’t for America’s leisure, it’s to honor the men and women who died while serving our country.
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May celebrates the first anniversary of Maine’s premier personal injury law blog. With nearly 100 unique posts in the past year, The 
On Thursday February 26th The 
With winter in midseason form and January on record as one of the coldest months in Maine’s history, Mainer’s have to do all that they can to keep themselves and their cars operating in tiptop condition.
When winter hits Maine, many residents look to our vast winter wonderland for fun. And as soon as snow blankets the ground, so do snowmobiles.
Over the course of a Maine winter, Mother Nature tests even the savviest of drivers with snow, sleet, and freezing rain. And with the ample amount of precipitation that our state receives, it is to be expected that roads will become slippery, and when roads become slippery, accidents happen.
The holiday season is upon us, and that means an abundance of decorations, dreidels, and desserts. But with all of the causes for celebration comes an increase risk in all things safety-related. And while it’s exciting to be swept up in the sea of holiday spirits, it is important to remember to be conscious and careful. Because after all of the gifts have been given and all of the trees have been trimmed, the only thing that matters is that we are safe and sound, and together again for the holiday season.
With winter upon us, and snow and ice inevitable, driving conditions can take a turn for the worse at the drop of a flake. And while it is mandatory for everyone in the state of Maine to wear a seatbelt, now is the time for a friendly reminder of all state seatbelt rules and regulations.
When talks turn to our economy, it’s easy to get anxiety in regards to our country’s current state of affairs. And with the uncertainty of the future, that anxiety is as much justified as it is tangible. But if there’s one thing the holiday season can do like no other time of the year, it’s lift the spirits of the young and the old, the wealthy and the less fortunate, the healthy and the injured, and everyone in between.
Halloween has long been one of children’s favorite holidays. Between dressing in costumes, bobbing for apples, and going door-to-door collecting candy, kids in the U.S. have been celebrating Halloween since the nineteenth century. But while costume parties, haunted houses, and trick-or-treating provide entertainment, the real key to having fun on Halloween is safety. 
With autumn upon us and temperatures beginning to drop, Mainers will soon begin to heat their homes. And with the increased cost in heating oil, residents will be looking for other ways to keep warm.
The 