When people think about personal injury lawsuits, they often think of catastrophic brain injuries, car accidents, limb loss, slip and fall accidents or events of that nature. There is, however, one form of legally designated personal injury that many may not have considered: defamation of character.
The idea that name-calling and character assassination might be viewed in the same legal area as extreme negligence leading to a serious physical injury may be a shock to some people. Under New Jersey’s personal injury statutes, defamation tactics such as slander and libel are actionable. Proving defamation, however, may be harder than one may think.
In order to prove defamation through slander or libel, it must be demonstrated that the defendant’s remarks caused damage, injury and negative impact on the plaintiff’s reputation. It also needs to be proven that the remarks leveraged by the defendant were false. Often, after lobbing a verbal attack at someone, the person will claim, “that was just my opinion.” While legally that is not a defense, the burden of proof is extremely high in these kinds of cases.
When your reputation and integrity are on the line, it’s critical that you know the facts and how to pursue legal action to protect your good name. Not only can an experienced personal injury attorney help you seek compensation in a defamation suit, they can also help you disprove the allegations and remarks at the center of the suit in open court.
Do you have a case? Don’t you? Talk to an experienced attorney today about what happened and how you’ve been affected by the character assassination. Learn all of your options.
The attorneys at the Wilton Law Firm are experienced and qualified personal injury professionals. If you’ve been injured, we will be your advocate and legal representative. Call us today for a free consultation and to get the compensation you deserve.
