Case Name: Thorton v. Haroni Investments
Citation: 2023 Cal. Super. LEXIS 11566 (Cal. Super. Ct. Feb. 15, 2023)
Judge: Honorable Kerry Bensinger
County: County of Los Angeles, California
Time to Comply with Social Media Disclosure Order: 20 business days
Facts
In a California premises liability lawsuit, the plaintiff alleged physical injuries resulting from unsafe conditions on the defendant’s property. During discovery, the defendant filed a motion to compel verified responses to inspection demands, including access to social media posts that could relate to the alleged incident or the plaintiff’s condition.
Ruling
The court granted the motion to compel, ordering the plaintiff to produce the requested social media evidence. The ruling emphasized that posts potentially relevant to the incident, liability, or the plaintiff’s physical condition were subject to discovery. The judge reiterated that such evidence could aid the defendant in evaluating the case, preparing for trial, or reaching a settlement. The court’s decision aligns with a growing body of rulings that validate social media content as relevant and admissible in personal injury claims.
Key Takeaways
- In California, courts continue to uphold the discoverability of social media evidence in premises-related personal injury claims.
- Digital content may be relevant not only to liability but also to the nature and extent of the injuries claimed.
- Courts expect parties to provide quick responses to inspection demands that include relevant online activity.
Final Thoughts
This California case affirms a clear message for plaintiff attorneys: social media production requests are now a standard discovery tool. Law firms must act early to identify potentially relevant content to reduce surprises, discuss the content with clients to understand context and prepare appropriate responses to problematic posts, and maintain control of the case narrative. Services like Private Footprint help attorneys quickly gain visibility into plaintiff social content, saving hours of staff time per client.
Private Footprint Keeps You in the Know
Your clients’ social media activity may be a goldmine or a minefield, but accessing this content, organizing it chronologically, and producing it in a usable format is exceptionally burdensome on legal team. Private Footprint was developed by Personal Injury attorneys to help plaintiff-only law firms avoid the Discovery/Deposition Surprise and gain clear 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.