Personal injury, family, criminal, other.

Defamation

The defamation lawyers at Penrod | Swemson have been engaged on many occasions by individuals and companies who have seen their reputations, standings in the community and good names damaged by false, disparaging statements. Whether the disparaging statement is spoken (slander) or written (libel), you may have legal recourse and should contact a defamation attorney. The attorneys at Penrod | Swenson have experience handling cases of libel and slander.

There are certain defamatory statements that the law considers to be so harmful that there is no requirement that the slandered or libeled person actually prove damages; instead, the law will presume the damage. This form of defamation is called defamation per se and applies to the following types of defamatory statements: (1) accusations that someone has committed a crime; (2) attacks on a person’s professional or business character or standing; (3) allegations that a person is infected with a sexually transmitted disease and (4) statements that a person is impotent or want of chastity.

In the business context, false and disparaging statements that target a business or its goods and services are also illegal and give rise to a cause of action for business defamation. Businesses who are defamed may recover the economic loss caused by the defamation.

We invite you to contact one of our defamation attorneys for a consultation on your potential case.