CuriousHelper
New Member
What liability exposure (if any) do individuals (particularly 'experts' like pediatricians, psychologists, teachers, and others) have when participating in online advice forums?
For instance, if a parent asks a question about the health of their child through an online advice forum, then receives general advice via a free public online forum, and the child subsequently gets sick (or sicker), can the parent successfully sue those individuals who provided the online advice?
What precautions can experts take in participating in online advice forums to limit their liability exposure? Does having standard language in the forum like "use/ask at your own risk and always consult a licensed medical professional" protect the participants giving advice, or just the website host? Any other legalese that must be included in the online forum to mitigate liability risk for both the website and the participants who are answering questions?
Thanks for any legal insights you can shed on this topic (and links to any related precedents or information online).
For instance, if a parent asks a question about the health of their child through an online advice forum, then receives general advice via a free public online forum, and the child subsequently gets sick (or sicker), can the parent successfully sue those individuals who provided the online advice?
What precautions can experts take in participating in online advice forums to limit their liability exposure? Does having standard language in the forum like "use/ask at your own risk and always consult a licensed medical professional" protect the participants giving advice, or just the website host? Any other legalese that must be included in the online forum to mitigate liability risk for both the website and the participants who are answering questions?
Thanks for any legal insights you can shed on this topic (and links to any related precedents or information online).