When a negative statement has been made about you, it is natural to be angry and hurt. But when that statement has an impact beyond hurt feelings and causes actual harm, it is legally actionable through a defamation of character lawsuit.  Defamation of character is a very specific legal term that means that a false statement has been made about a person and heard by a third party, and that the statement caused provable harm to the person’s reputation.  Without each of these essential components defamation has not taken place, and no damages can be recovered. If you believe that you have been a victim of defamation of character, the Philadelphia law firm of Bochetto & Lentz will be able to help you determine whether you have an actionable case and then help you get the justice you deserve.

 

Proving that harm has occurred as a result of a defamatory statement often depends upon the statement and your standing within the community where the statement was published. If you are a businessman and a false statement made against you has caused harm to your professional reputation then there is a good chance that you can show that you have lost business as a result, or that your standing within your company was impacted and you were passed over for an expected promotion, or even fired. An experienced Philadelphia defamation of character lawyer will be able to put together a compelling argument that connects the dots for judge or jury.  Where a case like this can require extensive documentation, clearly false statements accusing a person of criminal behavior or of illness, egregious behavior or beliefs are so clearly defamatory that the burden of proof is less difficult to provide.

 

One reason that defamation of character lawsuits can be difficult to win is that there is a fine line between a person’s expression of opinion and an expression of fact. Many defendants in an defamation case will claim that their speech is protected, or that the statements that they have made are not untrue, and if that is the case then no matter how embarrassing or harmful their statement may have been, it does not rise to the level of defamation.

 

When pursuing a defamation of character lawsuit, the question of damages is an important one. An experienced defamation of character attorney from the Philadelphia law firm of Bochetto & Lentz will carefully prepare documentation to show the financial consequences of the statements that have been made so that you can recover damages from the defendant. In some cases you may also receive awards for mental or physical anguish if you can prove that they have exacted a cost. This would require testimony or documentation from a physician who provided you with treatment, who would have to explain the difference in your well being following the defamation.

Learn more about our Defamation of Character Lawyer here –

https://www.bochettoandlentz.com/practice-areas/libel-slander-and-defamation/