LAW QUESTION, read below?

Cookie Dog

beckychr007

No--libel is saying something false about a person and harming them thereby. If some person gives you free advise at your request there is no liability if it is bad. if you retained an attorney and he gave you bad advise and was negligent in doing so then you could sue him.

carriebeary

Anyone can sue. But seeing as how this is just a message board and you are not peddling yourself as a professional and no money has exchanged hands, then they would not win, and it would be a waste of time and money on thier part.

Doug E. Doug

1. Since many answerers are basically anonymous, good luck trying to track someone down who has given faulty advice.

2. Any licensed attorney who answers would be smart to include a disclaimer that they are not offering legal advice and that no attorney client relationship exists.

3. Anyone who relies solely on advice/answers/information received here to deal with a legal problem is an idiot. (I don't mean that as a personal attack on any one person...especially since I don't know this asker...but come on - this is a generally anonymous answer board.)

4. The term in this instance is "liable" and not "libel."

strangedaze23

The answer is no. They are not a fiduciary to you, and if you take advise from here without consulting an attorney you are a fool. What could you sue them for? You are responsible for the advise you get and use, unless you have a client relationship with the person and then you might, but might not, have a case for ineffective assistance of counsel.

Robert C

Sure they can sue - anyone can sue - but they will likely not win.

open4one

Anyone using specific legal advice here is taking their chances. I suspect a defense against a lawsuit for advice gone bad would include questions like "did you check their credentials as a lawyer? call ANY bar association? even look to see how many 'best answers' they had?"

My legal advice here is generally limited to "you need a lawyer", but I do explain the legal terrain the question wherein the question lies.

fr_chuck

no it is not libel

This is considered non legal opinoins, not legal advice.

And honestly anyone that actually uses advice from these types of sites are in real trouble to start with, they should always get a local attorney

cyanne2ak

It's possible, but not likely. This is due to Yahoo's own disclaimer about the truthfulness of answers on this site. Basically their disclaimer says "use at your own risk" and "user beware". It is possible that you could sue, but I REALLY doubt you'd get anywhere with it because of that disclaimer, it's accessibility, and the anonymity of the users on the site.

blue_eyed_southernman

do you realize the cost of suing, only if the answerer had assets, but if they did, I don't see them in yahoo

normobrian

First of all, a wrong answer or advice, is not 'libel'. Libel would be the printing of an untruth, which causes damage to the subject. Writing an article that claims that McDonald's uses baby seals in its McNuggets would be considered libel.

As for the advice itself, if you're not paying for it, you have no expectation of reliability. It is not a professional opinion, rendered by an expert, so you're taking your chances.

gabluesmanxlt

Not according to yahoo!'s terms of use.

Ol' Sasquatch

Not A Lawyer here --- But IMHO, Yeah, they might be able to sue. However, the Asker is not asking a professional about their advice. To do that costs $$$. I am not receiving any $ compensation and only answer with my opinion to the question asked.

Should the "Asker" think that my response was the best, then thank you for the 10 points. Anything more than that, I don't think so.

Interesting question! Thanks for asking.

IMHO,

The Ol' Sasquatch Ãœ

PS - How does one receive compensation from a creature which does not exist, in the minds of mankind? ;-)

Motocross girl

Unless your like, sick or something. Don't freak when its only yahoo answeres!

No. There is no contract, no relationship exists, this is an open forum. Free speech allowed, but wording can be censored.

hq3

No. People are usually not liable for giving bad advice unless they are certified professionals like doctors, lawyers and accountants.

rwl_is_taken

if you claim to be an expert on a subject-they could potentially sue but it is unlikely that they would win. If you take advise from someone without determining that the person giving the advise is actually knowledgable in the subject then it is at your own risk. Some common sense is needed obviously.

onanist13

If you read the bottom of every page on answers it says:

Yahoo! does not evaluate or guarantee the accuracy of any Yahoo! Answers content. Click here for the Full Disclaimer.

So, no.

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