Defamation is the umbrella term for a statement that harms a person’s reputation, and includes both slander (spoken) and libel (written) statements. Under defamation law, a person whose reputation has been hurt by a defamatory statement can sue the person who made the statement in a civil court.

Since online reviews of products and services are so ubiquitous these days, a surge in defamation lawsuits has occurred where companies are suing individuals for negative reviews. There is a fine line between freedom of speech and defamation, which is why it is important to understand the elements that constitute defamation.

To prevail in a defamation lawsuit, it must be proven that:

Someone made a statement. T