| | | Board Certified In Personal Injury | 28 Years Experience | (903) 531-9300 | | Dear Subscriber, People now spend more time online than watching television. And the top destinations are social media sites like Facebook. This month we look at the consequences of sharing too much personal information on social media and ways to protect yourself. | | | | 28 Years Experience Trying Personal Injury Cases Counts After 28 years of handling personal injury cases we've learned that sometimes you have to "just say no" to the insurance company and saddle up and go try the case in front of a jury. We did just that in June of this year in a car wreck case involving some pretty serious injuries. The Defendants' auto liability insurance company made a lowball offer and dug in. We said "NO" and headed to the court house. I guess being hard headed has its advantages because a Smith County jury awarded us more than seven times what the insurance company had offered. It was a good day for the good guy. Continue reading.
| | Over Sharing Online Can Cost You Your Job ... and More For better or worse, social networks give us a platform to share literally everything on the Internet. Have you ever marveled at an offensive Tweet, a questionable Facebook picture or an unprofessional comment on LinkedIn from someone you know? Those same people may discover that what they share on social media can cost them a great job, entrance into a college, a promising relationship or even their day in court. In today’s ever-connected, over-sharing world, you should know anything posted online is no longer private! Think twice before hitting "Post." >>> | BY THE NUMBERS / | #1 Social | People spend more time on social networks than any other category of sites, with Facebook the runaway leader. Other top networks include Twitter and Pinterest. Source: The Social Media Report 2012, Nielsen | 90% Googled | Ninety percent of executive recruiters “Google” potential job candidates, and 50 percent have eliminated applicants based on “digital dirt” found publicly available on the Internet. Source: Executive Recruiters Reveal Top 3 Things that Put Candidates at Top of Hiring Slate, ExecuNet | 1 in 4 Regret Post | Twenty-nine percent of social media users between the ages of 18 and 34 have posted something they fear could get them fired or cause a prospective employer to turn them down for a job. Source: FindLaw.com Survey | | BOOKMARK FAVORITES / | Fired by Facebook Spreads Awareness In what might be the ultimate social media irony, a Facebook group called Fired by Facebook was started to share stories, tips and resources on the dangers of an ill-advised post. App Warns Twitter Users of Job-Threatening Tweets A new app called FireMe! will assess and alert Twitter users when their tweets might get them fired. You can also watch a real-time display of offending tweets from other people. Employers Demanding Access to Social Media Accounts Some employers are demanding that employees turn over their usernames or passwords for personal social media accounts as a condition of employment. Legislation has been passed or is pending in nearly every state that would prohibit this practice. Check on your state here. | |