Previous Practice Tips have discussed the usefulness of the Internet in locating expert witnesses and in researching medical issues present in your product liability case. (See February 2002 Practice Tip “Search the Internet for Medical Experts” and March 2002 Practice Tip “Make use of Internet Medical Sites”). Here is yet another way to use the Internet to your advantage in product liability litigation: Use it to locate and obtain old or otherwise difficult-to-obtain physical and documentary evidence.
eBay, as most people are aware, is the online auction site where Internet users can obtain virtually any item, any day of the week and at any hour of the day. Believe it or not, it is being used more and more to obtain physical evidence for use in litigation. For instance, asbestos plaintiffs’ lawyers reportedly have been using eBay to purchase asbestos-containing products and industrial manuals dating back to the 1950s.
