Legal Question in Personal Injury in Wisconsin
Defamation of character
When my ex-husband died, my in-laws claimed, to family members,I took money from my ex-hubands clothes, at the hospital. It was a mix up, but my father-in-law was correted on what happened. In spite of a mix up, my in-laws chose to accuse me of taking the difference. This was repeated to my children, and other family members. People would not speak to me at visitation. I hate to go out because I so not know who has heard this. They have done this many times in the past 20 years. Do I have any recourse???
1 Answer from Attorneys
Re: Defamation of character
Our firm does not handle the type of case you have described, so we will not be able to become involved with your potential claim. I have never handled a defamation case in my thirty years of practicing law, so I cannot really give you good advice about your claim. One concern I would have, however, relates to the statute of limitations. I have just looked at the statute book and see that there is a two-year statute of limitations for libel and slander actions (Wis. Stat. sec. 893.57). If that is the statute of limitations that would apply to your potential claim, you would only be entitled to damages resulting from libel and slander occurring within the two years before your case gets filed. That may significantly limit your potential recovery regarding the claim, assuming that there is a claim that could be successfully pursued.
I think that you should contact a lawyer in your area who handles this type of case and discuss your potential claim with that lawyer. An alternative would be to call the State Bar of Wisconsin Lawyer Referral Service at 800-362-9082.
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