Doctor Defamation: Taking Down Internet Libel & Protecting A Physician's Reputation

Internet defamation attorneys Brian A. Hall and Enrico Schaefer of Traverse Legal, PLC discuss what doctors, lawyers and other professionals should do if someone says or posts something derogatory about them or their business online.

1.  Defamation against Doctors and other professionals is rampant. There is a balance between having a thick skin and protecting you on-line reputation.

2.  Blog posts, comments and doctor review web sites make posting false information as easy as hitting "submit"

3.  A false statement of fact - internet defamation - can cost a doctor or physician big time.  A professional's prime asset is their reputation.

4.  Every doctor should be doing the following things to protect against internet libel and defamation.

    a. Make sure you register domain names and social media vanity URLs incorporating the doctor's name, and variations.

    b. Monitor the internet for problems. Top web sites and doctor rating sites for defamation on the internet include Yelp, ComplaintsBoard, RipOffReport, Google Places listing, DoctorScorecard.com, angieslist.com, ratemds.com, vitals.com, haelthgrades.com

    c. Develop a strategy to deal with false allegations about physicians when problems arise.  An internet lawyer knows how to deal with these problems, strategies for having content removed, posts deleted and potentially removed from the search engines such as Google Yahoo and Bing.

Internet Defamation Can Cost You Big Time

To those who want to “flame” people or companies on the internet, be aware that libel and defamation can bring defamation litigation against you.  In one case back in 2006, a jury awarded an $11 million plus judgment against a defendant who had engaged in rampant defamation on an internet website.  Before you make a false statement of fact which affects someone else’s reputation, think again.  Are you prepared to deal with the consequences?

Ripoff Report is the Hot Spot for Internet Defamation

Internet Defamation and Libel Update:

Our internet lawyers receive dozens of emails and calls from prospective clients each week complaining about defamation on the internet.  Ripoff Report, found at www.ripoffreport.com, is all too often the publisher of false statements of fact.  In a somewhat ironic twist, Ripoff Report screwed up one of their Google Webmaster Tools settings causing the entire site to be removed from the Google Search results.  The incident is reported here.

Click the following link for more information about lawsuits filed against Ripoff Reports for defamation and libel.