A person who commits the defamation is liable to any person injured by the defamation for damages, prejudgment interest, attorney fees, the costs of litigation and punitive damages. The damages may include lost sales and business, lost profits and loss in value of the business.
General Limits Classification of CrimeTime Limits Petty Offenses 6 months Misdemeanors 1 year Felonies in Classes Two Through Six 7 years
A defamatory statement must be an assertion of fact, not an opinion. For example, if your boss says that you are not a very nice person, then that statement is likely to be an opinion. On the other hand, if your boss says you have been stealing from the company, that is a statement of fact, not opinion.
There must be a publication of the defamatory statement, that is to say, it must be communicated to some person other than the plaintiff himself. In case of slander, either there must be proof of special damages or the slander must come within the serious classes of cases in which it is actionable per se.
A person who commits the defamation is liable to any person injured by the defamation for damages, prejudgment interest, attorney fees, the costs of litigation and punitive damages. The damages may include lost sales and business, lost profits and loss in value of the business.
The amount one can sue for defamation varies widely based on several factors including the severity and extent of damage caused by the defamatory statement. However, damages typically range from thousands to millions of dollars depending on circumstances such as loss earnings and emotional distress.
In Arizona, the elements of a defamation claim are: a false statement concerning the plaintiff; the statement was defamatory; the statement was published to a third party; the requisite fault on the part of the defendant; and. the plaintiff was damaged as a result of the statement.
Defamation, which includes slander (spoken words) and libel (written statements), can cause significant harm to both your personal and professional reputation.
Arizona Revised Statutes (A.R.S.) §13-3506.01 outlines criminal defamation. It's defined as making a false and malicious statement about another person that exposes them to public hatred, contempt, or ridicule, or which impairs their business.