Defend Your Reputation With Legal Representation
Nearly everyone has been subject to some level of defamation in life. While most rumors or gossip may be harmless, and fruitless accusations of wrongdoing may disappear without consequence, sometimes an act of defamation can have consequences so severe, they ruin an individual’s ability to maintain employment, cost them their job, or result in their rejection by their local community or society at large.
With the advent of social media, defaming a person’s reputation based on a slight or wrongdoing, either real or imagined, is easier than ever. The potential consequences of such defamation have also become exponentially more long-lasting and severe.
If your reputation and livelihood have been damaged as a result of defamation, you may be able to recover damages and clear your name by working with defamation attorneys to rebuild your reputation.
What Counts as Defamation?
Defamation is defined as the act of damaging an individual’s reputation by slander or libel.
You may have been subject to defamation if your reputation has been damaged by someone who showed a reckless disregard for the truth (if they know their statements are false) and you have suffered loss of income, ostracizing by others, been ousted from an organization, been unable to maintain employment, or other damages as a result.
The two kinds of defamation include slander and libel. While these terms are often used interchangeably in everyday life, they are in fact two entirely separate forms of defamation.
Slander is defined as oral defamation. An example of slander would be one individual spreading a false and malicious rumor about another, resulting in that individual losing their job and being unable to find work.
Libel is defined as a defamatory statement published through any manner or media. False and malicious statements, published to bring hatred, contempt, or to ridicule an individual or entity, are often considered a civil breach of law.
An individual who files a Personal Injury suit for defamation, and who can prove that the slander or libel they were subjected to resulted in damage to their reputation and livelihood, may be able to recover damages to help mitigate the financial costs associated with being a victim of defamation.
Interested in Filing a Defamation Claim? Read This First.
Defamation claims seem simple on the surface; they involve someone’s reputation being damaged by the malicious and false statements, writings, or comments of another. However, defamation claims can be complex to try in a court of law.
There are many complexities surrounding the issue of defamation, with certain aspects changed in an individual is a member of the press, or if they believed their statement to be factual and were not malicious.
There are also limitations on defamation claims, to help safeguard the essential right to free speech. For instance, “public figures,” such as celebrities or politicians, must prove that the Defendant acted with “actual malice.”
A consultation with a legal representative, in which you lay out the circumstances of the defamation you have suffered and the proof that it was malicious and false in nature, can help you to decide whether or not your individual case is subject to these limitations.
Find Legal Representation for Defamation in South Carolina
Individuals who have been defamed may be able to recover “general damages”, or damages related to loss of reputation, emotional pain, or other similar categories that are not easily defined. They may also be able to recover damages referred to as “special damages” such as loss of money, property, employment, or business.
Bluestein Attorneys has a Personal Injury team with experience in working alongside clients who have been subjected to defamation. We’d be happy to meet with you to discuss the circumstances surrounding the slander or libel you have been subjected to, and will help you be fully informed as to your rights. After our initial consultation, you’ll have a better understanding of the next best step for you.
Request your FREE Personal Injury consultation for defamation. Give Bluestein Attorneys a call at (803) 779-7599 or contact us online by filling out the form.