Do I have a legitimate case of libel?

[Justaguyguy]

Jurisdiction

Tennessee

Hi,

I work as a professional musician in Nashville, TN. Recently, I was dropped out of my regular rotation of performances due to an inaccurate and false statement made by a club manager. The allegation actually came from a manager who I never saw, or had contact with. He made a claim to my entertainment manager, whodecides when/ where we play, that I was making trips to my car and drinking outside of the venue. This is entirely and completely false. The allegation cost me a lot of money and a spot that I worked very hard to get. Further, my reputation as a professional has been tarnished amidst the rumors. Where I believe this gets tricky is that we are paid by the clubs and l work also for tip, so we file under 1099, as independent contractors. I believe bottom line is indépendant of any employment law as an individual made a false statement about me that has hurt me significantly. Do I have a case to pursue this individual in court? If so, is there a general course of direction I can immeadiatly take?

 

[adjusterjack]

Libel is written defamation. Slander is oral defamation.

A defamation action has nothing to do with employment.

You have no cause of action against your "client" for terminating you unless you had a written contract specifying the circumstances under which the "client" could terminate your services.

What's left is a defamation lawsuit against the person who made the statements.

Start by consulting a defamation attorney. Be prepared to pay attorney fees although it's possible that you might find an attorney to work on contingency depending on the strength of the case and how much money is involved.

Just google defamation attorney for Nashville and set up an appointment. Attorneys often give free initial consultations.

 

[Michael Wechsler]

Slander cases are not usually the kind of cases that attorneys take on contingency for the same reason you rarely see such lawsuits filed - they are notoriously difficult to prove and damages must be significant to finance such a case. Another issue is whether the pockets of the party you are suing are deep enough to finance the case and also withstand their costs to defend a suit. While it doesn't hurt to try as has been suggested, set your expectations and consider also a non-legal approach. We don't know all the details and so can't make other conclusions.