Filing a Personal Injury Claim for Slander or Defamation

A slander defamation suit might be justified if someone has said maliciously untrue things about you. You might not be sure exactly what slander and defamation entail, and before filing a lawsuit or seeking legal counsel, you might wish to understand the law a little better.

What Is Slander?

Slander is spoken defamation. Libel, on the other hand, is written defamation. Defamation occurs when a person makes statements about you to another person, the statements must be false, and they cause you damages or injury of some kind. This can include injury to your reputation in your community, loss of employment or other damages.

How to File a Slander or Defamation Claim

If you have been defamed or slandered, you have the right to hold the tortfeasor responsible for their actions. Filing a lawsuit against them is your recourse under the law. To file a personal injury claim for slander or defamation, you will need to:

Hire an experienced attorney to handle the legal filings, settlement negotiations and the trial if it goes to that step. An attorney will be needed and many of them work on contingency in personal injury claims. That means, they collect when you do, so you do not have up front costs associated with your case.
Gather and preserve evidence to assist in your case. Your attorney will handle this for you in most cases, but your knowledge and insight into any available evidence will be important to your case. You can suggest parties who can be interviewed, gather any documents that are evidence of the defamation and documents that attest to your good character (since character is at issue in a defamation case).
Understand the defenses that may be raised in your case. Truth is an absolute defense in a defamation or slander case. Other defenses may include opinion and privilege of the speaker. Discuss whether these defenses or others may be raised with your attorney at the outset.

Getting Legal Help

If you are considering filing a personal injury claim for slander or defamation, make sure you hire an experienced attorney knowledgeable in defamation law. An attorney can help you get the compensation you deserve in your case either through settlement or trial if necessary. An attorney stands up and forges the way for you so that you hold the person who wronged you responsible for their misdeeds.

Have an Accident Claim?