Defamation
Protecting Employees From False Accusations and Damage to Their Reputation
Defamation (lies about an employee) are frequently used in the workplace by other employees to take another’s position, to counter discipline, or complaints about poor performance.
Defamation is also used by employers to cause terminations, to coverup the real but illegal reason for a termination, or to justify a retaliatory termination. For instance, defamation may be used to justify a termination if an employee becomes disabled after a long and productive career, or if they refuse to submit to unwelcome demands for sex, or in retaliation for an employee’s whistleblowing about an employer’s illegal or unsafe activity, etc.
WHAT IS DEFAMATION
Defamation is a false and unprivileged written (Civil Code § 45) or oral statement (Civil Code §46) of fact (not opinion) about you that expressly or impliedly charges you with a crime or something that has a tendency to injure you in your occupation, or injure you in respect to your office, profession, trade or business, i.e. to cause or justify your termination.
At times defamation can also be used to prevent you from finding subsequent employment.
You may recover emotional distress and economic damages for the harm caused by the defamation to you career, ability to provide to for yourself and your family and to your good reputation that may have been built through years of hard work.
Have Questions About Defamation Or Employee Rights?
Our experienced employment attorneys help workers understand their rights and pursue claims through the appropriate legal channels.
DAMAGE TO REPUTATION
“It takes 20 years to build a reputation and 5 minutes to ruin it.” – Warren Buffett.
“The injuries suffered from defamation can be more real and debilitating –– at least emotionally and financially –– than palpable physical injuries and are equally worthy of compensation.” (Brown v. Kelly Broadcasting Co. (1989) 48 Cal. 711, 755.)
OUR EXPERIENCE IN DEFAMATION CASES
We have obtained numerous significant verdicts for our clients in defamation cases including: $24,289,696, King v. U.S. Bank (2020) 53 Cal. App. 5th 675; $7,500,000; Boucher v. Foundation Health; $2,100,000 Hernandez v. Thasos $5,600,000; Sallustio v. Kemper Ins.; $1,400,000 Wilson v. Continental Cable; $582,000 Negron v. Sears. We have also won precedent setting defamation appellate decisions such as Olaes v. Nationwide Mut. Ins. Co. (2006) 135 Cal App. 4th 1501).
Associations
