Client Social Media Discovery for Plaintiff Attorneys

Case Law

Social Media Used as Evidence in Court Cases

Case Name: Johns v. United States
Citation: 2023 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 222648, 2023 WL 8642124 (S.D. Fla. December 14, 2023)
Judge: Honorable Panayotta Augustin-Birch
Court and County: United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida
Time to Comply with Social Media Disclosure Order: 28 days

Facts

In a Florida personal injury lawsuit under the Federal Tort Claims Act, the plaintiff alleged serious injuries from a vehicle collision caused by the defendant. The defendant requested discovery of all social media posts, including those mentioning the plaintiff, dating back to 2015. The request covered images, statements on physical or mental health, and evidence of travel or physical activity.

Ruling

The court granted the defendant’s motion but imposed limitations. While social media posts were deemed relevant, the court restricted the timeframe from 2015 to 2017 onward, as the plaintiff had a prior injury in 2017. Additionally, the request for all photos of the plaintiff was narrowed to only those showing physical activity or travel. The court also held that privacy settings do not exempt social media content from discovery when physical and mental health are at issue.

Key Takeaways

  • In Florida, social media evidence can be subject to discovery, but courts may limit overbroad requests.
  • Privacy settings do not shield social media content from discovery in personal injury litigation.
  • Courts may allow discovery of pre-accident social media activity to assess prior injuries.

Final Thoughts

This Florida ruling in Johns v. United States demonstrates that while social media evidence is discoverable, courts may refine discovery requests to keep them proportional. Plaintiff attorneys should prepare clients for potential social media scrutiny and work to narrow overly broad production requests where possible. Strategic objections can help limit discovery to relevant, case-specific evidence.

Private Footprint Keeps You in the Know

Your clients’ social media activity may be a goldmine or a minefield. Private Footprint was developed by Personal Injury Lawyers to help plaintiff-only law firms avoid the Discovery/Deposition Surprise. It gives firms immediate and ongoing visibility into their clients’ social media activity to protect and increase the value of their files. We’re also enabling paralegals and legal assistants to produce client social media reports in minutes, not hours. All this for only $100 per client (plus taxes), invoiced as individual receipts itemized for ease of tracking disbursements. No hidden fees, no subscriptions, no surprises.

Request a Demo to learn more about Private Footprint and how you can start protecting the value of your files.

Make Sure Your Clients' Social Posts Aren’t Damaging Their Files