Defamation Litigation – Libel
Defamation Litigation
Austin, Texas, Libel Attorneys
Libel is the written, rather spoken, statement of a false, disparaging fact, accusation or allegation. The libel lawyers at Taylor Dunham 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. The trial attorneys at Taylor Dunham have experience handling cases of libel through trial and on appeal. One of THE leading Texas appellate opinions on defamation law is a case that we handled through trial and appeal. Debby Wilie v. KJFK, Shamrock Communications, Inc. and Bill Simonson; Cause No. 98-07677; 261st District Court of Travis County, Texas (represented plaintiff in defamation and invasion of privacy case against radio station; verdict for plaintiff $455,000; judgment affirmed on appeal, see Shamrock Communications, Inc. d/b/a KJFK v. Wilie, No. 03-99-00852-CV, 2000 WL 1825501 (Tex. App.—Austin Dec. 14, 2000, pet. denied) (not designated for publication)).
There are certain libelous statements that the law considers to be so harmful that there is no requirement that the libeled person actually prove damages; instead, the law will presume the damage. This form of libel is called libel 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 libel. Businesses who are defamed may recover the economic loss caused by the libel.
We invite you to contact one of our libel attorneys for a free initial consultation on your potential case. Call Taylor Dunham at 1-800-557-5565 or click here to complete an online contact form. Our libel attorneys are based in Austin, Texas, and represent clients not only in Austin but throughout Texas and all across the country. At Taylor Dunham, LLP, you will find libel lawyers who have received preeminent ratings by Martindale-Hubbell, earned board certifications in Civil Trial and received recognition as Super Lawyers. We invite you to review the curriculum vitae of the following libel litigation attorneys, which sets forth in more detail our experience:
We regularly offer defamation clients the benefits of contingency fee arrangements (were we are only compensated if there is a successful recovery). When you need effective and aggressive representation from a contingent fee libel lawyer in Austin, Texas, or elsewhere, Taylor Dunham, LLP would welcome your inquiry.
Your initial consultation regarding your case is free. Click Here to Contact a defamation attorney at Taylor Dunham, LLP to discuss your case or call us toll free at 1-800-557-5565.