Personal Injury and Disability

Abstract

Forensic mental health evaluations in personal injury and disability cases require an assessment of changes in the examinee’s functioning over time. This task requires the incorporation of multiple sources of data to obtain an accurate picture of the examinee. Social networking site (SNS) data, as a form of collateral data, may be useful in providing information about the examinee’s functioning over time and may help to corroborate or disconfirm aspects of the examinee’s self-report. SNS data, however, is subject to certain limitations and vulnerabilities, including issues with authenticity, context, representativeness, and relevance. These challenges are considered within the legal contours of civil litigation. The chapter concludes with recommendations for the effective use of social media data in personal injury and disability cases.