What's on your mind?

[DerVVulfman]

Have you heard the story of the woman who left a negative review on Bing?

She visited a Doctor and was given bills that her insurance wouldn't pay, rates extremely high, and for some procedures she said did not even take place. Along with listing "very poor and crooked", she pointed out that she tried to call the doctor's office to straighten things out, but got no love. For this, she left the doctor a negative review. But since then, he filed a lawsuit for $1 Million dollars (US) against her for defamation, libel and causing emotional distress.

The Doctor's lawyer made a statement to the media that "While everyone is entitled to their opinion, outright lies masquerading as reviews can inflict serious damage to a medical practice or small business." This doctor is indeed fortunate, because most states in the United States have strong Anti-SLAPP lawsuits, and New York does not. She has paid over $10,000 in law fees since.

So watch out if you even post a 1-Star review on Facebook. She did.

*SLAPP: Stragegic Lawsuit Against Public Participation - lawsuits intended to censor, intimidate and silence critics. A double-edged sword as those filing such lawsuits claim they are denied a right to petition against their accuser, especially those who sincerely believe that they had been wronged by their critic.