This guide provides an overview of defamation law. Topics included cover the definitions of libel and slander, proving defamation, defenses to defamation, and more.
USLegal Guide to Defamation; Libel and Slander
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FAQ
To prove prima facie defamation, a plaintiff must show four things: 1) a false statement purporting to be fact; 2) publication or communication of that statement to a third person; 3) fault amounting to at least negligence; and 4) damages, or some harm caused to the person or entity who is the subject of the statement.
Libel is a method of defamation expressed by print, writing, pictures, signs, effigies, or any communication embodied in physical form that is injurious to a person's reputation, exposes a person to public hatred, contempt or ridicule, or injures a person in his/her business or profession.
In order to have them considered libel and slander, it must be proved that the things said or written had a detrimental effect on your business or personal reputation. If this is occurring to you, you can write a cease-and-desist letter that orders an individual or larger entity to stop these actions.
The burden of proof for a defamation case rests on the plaintiff. This means the person who was the subject of the false statement must prove these four elements for a successful case. As with most civil cases, the plaintiff must demonstrate these elements true by a preponderance of evidence.
Under United States law, libel generally requires five key elements: the plaintiff must prove that the information was published, the plaintiff was directly or indirectly identified, the remarks were defamatory towards the plaintiff's reputation, the published information is false, and that the defendant is at fault.
Step 1 Gather the False Statements. Collect any and all evidence of the false statements made. Step 2 Show the Statement is Inaccurate. Step 3 Write the Cease and Desist Letter. Step 4 Claiming Damages. Step 5 Prepare and File the Lawsuit.
Also known as oral or spoken defamation, slander is the legal term for the act of harming a person's reputation by telling one or more other people something that is untrue and damaging about that person. Slander can be the basis for a lawsuit and is considered a civil wrong (i.e., a tort).
To win a libel suit, public figures must prove actual malice, that whoever published an incorrect statementor a blatant lienot only did it but did so with reckless disregard for the truth.
To collect punitive damages, you also will likely have to prove the defamatory statement was made with actual malice in other words the person making the knew it was false, or showed reckless disregard for the truth. Those things can be very difficult to prove.