Lawyer for Bad Reviews in New York, NY

A lawyer for defamation and libel help you protect your reputation from malicious bad reviews published online.

Generally, there are two types of defamation: slander (for harmful speech) and libel (for harmful writings). With the advent of internet, writing bad reviews online has become easier. When this bad review is false and defamatory, a lawyer for bad reviews, defamation and libel can help you.

Elements of Libel

To prove libel in New York, a lawyer for bad reviews must show:

• A false and defamatory statement of fact
• About a person who is identifiable (can be a corporation which is considered a juridical person)
• Published to a third party
• Resulting to injury to the identifiable person.

Defenses to Libel

A bad review online can be libelous or not, depending on the unique circumstances of the case. Someone who has written a bad review may have defenses, such as truth, opinion, fair comment, privilege, no identifiable plaintiff, consent, and statute of limitations.

For example, if the bad review contained truthful statements of facts, the reviewer would be able to raise a successful defense. If the case was filed more than three years after the review was written (for business defamation), the case may be dismissed due to the statute of limitations. If the company could not readily be identified from the review, then this is another defense that can be raised. A lawyer for bad reviews will be able to review that particular written publication online to see whether a defamation claim may be filed.

The Procedure

When you have been subjected to a bad review online, the first step is to gather evidence to prove the defamatory statement. This includes a screenshot of the review, the exact URL, and other forms of evidence. The lawyer for bad reviews will be able to determine the strength of your claim after reading the written review.

When the written review is defamatory, your lawyer for bad reviews can send a cease and desist letter, demanding the removal of the statements or a public apology. Usually, this can resolve the dispute without going through courts.

However, if the other party refuses to settle, legal action may be considered, especially when the damage is severe. A lawyer for bad reviews, defamation and libel will be able to assist you in determining whether the online review is actionable. Should you need assistance, we at the Law Offices of Albert Goodwin are here for you. We have offices in New York, NY, Brooklyn, NY and Queens, NY. You can call us at 212-233-1233 or send us an email at [email protected].