Social media evidence in class action lawsuits can be critical. Learn how in the case study below.
Market: Legal
Client: National Law Firm
Service: Litigation Support
Challenge
A national fast-food chain faced a class action lawsuit from current and former employees. The lawsuit, filed by a large law firm, alleged that the chain had misclassified employees as managers to avoid paying overtime wages.
While the company’s legal team couldn’t fully refute the claims, they aimed to challenge the eligibility of some participants. Reducing the number of eligible participants could significantly lower the monetary settlement.
To support the defense, SMI Aware was asked to locate participants’ social media profiles and uncover publicly available information related to their employment at the restaurant chain.
Solution
Our analysts used a combination of traditional research and digital identifiers to locate LinkedIn profiles for most of the participants. We then compared their social media details with the information provided to the court.
Specifically, we reviewed:
- Employment timeline — Did the participant actually work at the chain during the lawsuit’s timeframe?
- Job title — Did their title match a management position?
- Job duties — Did they describe responsibilities typically associated with management, like staffing decisions?
Our team preserved the participants’ social media profiles and delivered a clear, organized report to the defense team. The report sorted participants into three categories:
-
Evidence supports participation
-
Evidence disputes participation
-
Inconclusive social media evidence
This actionable intelligence allowed the legal team to focus its efforts on participants whose eligibility was questionable.
Outcome
Thanks to SMI Aware’s investigation, the fast-food chain’s legal team was able to quickly review and screen class action participants. This saved the company thousands of dollars in legal costs and helped reduce the burden of settling the lawsuit.
Learn More
Social media evidence is critical for class action lawsuits. SMI Aware can help deliver a repeatable, unbiased search to thousands of claimants.
Want to see sample reports or learn how SMI Aware can help with social media investigations and evidence preservation?
Contact us or call (888) 299-9921 and one of our representatives will gladly assist you.
Featured image taken by SplitShire via Pexels
