DEFAMATION & SLANDER

As an executive, your reputation is vital to the success of your career. Years of hard work have gotten you to where you are now, and the last thing you want is for a statement in the media to ruin everything you’ve achieved. However, your position may frequently require you to be in the public eye, which can increase the chances that your reputation suffers from harmful comments and statements.

The effects of defamatory comments can linger for a significant amount of time and cause serious damage to your personal and professional life. If you believe you’ve suffered from defamation of character, let Bantle & Levy’s executive representation fight to protect your reputation from harm.

What is Defamation?

Defamation is an umbrella term used to describe false statements that harm someone’s reputation. The two main types of defamation are libel and slander.

• Libel – Libel involves written or published defamatory statements about a person. In today’s society, there are many ways that organizations and individuals can write and publish libelous statements. This includes traditional media like newspapers and magazines, and anything online, such as social media, blogs, and internet forums.
• Slander – Slander is defamatory comments made verbally about a person. It can be much harder to prove that a verbal statement should be considered defamatory than a written or published statement.

As a statement needs to be false to be considered defamatory, not every statement that negatively affects someone’s reputation counts as defamation. Statements that put someone in a bad light but contain factual information may not warrant a defamation lawsuit. Negative opinions about a person may also not be enough to be considered defamation.

How Do You Prove Defamation and Slander?

Proving defamation can be difficult, as the right to free speech still needs to be protected. However, if you’ve been a victim of defamation, you deserve to have the record set straight and defend yourself.

To show that defamation of character occurred, you’ll need to prove the following:

• The defendant made a false statement,
• The defendant made the statement to a third party without authorization,
• The defendant was at least negligent, and
• The statement caused special harm or defamation per se.

There are various defenses in defamation of character cases. The defendant may prove that their statement was true, privileged, or that it was their own opinion and not something that can be proven true or false. Defendants may also retract their statements. Retracting the statement doesn’t mean that the defendant can no longer be held accountable for their statement, but they may owe fewer damages.

Defend Your Reputation with Bantle & Levy

Having your reputation publicly disparaged can stay with you for the rest of your career. Freedom of speech does not give others the ability to make false, harmful comments without repercussions. If an individual or an organization has made a false statement about you that has caused damages, you deserve to be compensated for the losses you’ve suffered due to it.

At Bantle & Levy, our team has years of experience helping executive professionals through complicated situations like this. Contact us for more information about our executive representation.