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SS&L Partner Settles Defamation Suit for $400,000, Apology
In May 2006, after four days of trial, Spangenberg, Shibley & Liber LLP attorneys negotiated a substantial settlement on behalf of a Cleveland lawyer defamed by a physician who had sent poison-pen letters to 51 judges in Cuyahoga and Geauga counties.
The suit arose from a 2003 incident in which the doctor was scheduled to testify at trial as an expert on behalf of one of his patients. The lawsuit was settled before trial, and the doctor was given five days advance notice to reschedule appointments for the day. The plaintiff held that the settlement of the patient's lawsuit and advance notice voided the doctor's claim for a $5,000 witness fee, but the doctor felt otherwise. In frustration, he composed an angry letter and sent a copy to every judge in Cuyahoga and Geauga counties' Common Pleas courts, and to every Cleveland Municipal court judge. The letter accused the plaintiff of being a liar and behaving reprehensibly, and encouraged each judge to "...take this into consideration in all your future dealings with [the plaintiff]."
At trial, SS&L attorneys showed that their client had not lied, and that news of the letter had spread throughout the legal community, causing irreparable harm to the attorney's reputation. In addition, the plaintiff said he suffered shame and humiliation that caused him to lose sleep, take tranquilizers, and seek professional counseling.
During the fourth day of trial, SS&L lawyers reached a settlement with the defendant which included $400,000 in damages and a letter of apology sent to each of the judges who had received the original letter defaming the plaintiff.
For more information, please call us at 216.696.3232 or email ssl@spanglaw.com |
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