Before You Post That Nasty Online Review, Watch This:

Leaving a negative online review can be satisfying (and also helpful if you want your fellow restaurant goers to avoid subpar pad thai). But did you know that some online reviews can have legal consequences? In this video, Tom Metier explains how you can leave a critical review without any legal risk.

Video Transcript

These days, online reviews have become more and more prevalent. If you’ve had what you think is a bad experience with a business, it can be satisfying to give them a scathing review online.

But, be careful. Before you blast them, know that they could get the last laugh by suing you for defamation.

For example, recently a Manhattan woman has been sued for a million dollars after a former patient posted a very negative on Yelp and other online sites. The former patient says after the suit was filed she took the review down, but the doctor is still seeking a million dollars in damages plus legal fees. The attorney for Dr. Joon Song says the review contained outright lies which would be very damaging to the doctor’s practice.

So, does this mean you can’t post bad reviews online anymore? Attorney Tom Metier of the Metier Law Firm says you can still leave reviews, but he cautions:

Consumers need to be truthful and clear in their online reviews as to what is fact and what is opinion. Portraying a physician or other professional as dishonest or crooked subjects the review to legal liability for defamation. The most powerful online review state the facts of what happened and then can include as a statement as to how those facts made the reviewer feel.”

If you are sued by someone after posting a review, what should you do? Take it seriously, and contact a lawyer. Get more information at AskTheLawyers.com