The Costs of SLAPP Suits

The Boston Sunday Globe offered interesting commentary [below] about the hurt feelings of doctors as consumers post their experiences on the internet.

This closely resembles my experience with Route 44 Toyota and Toyota in refusing to correct or address the BRAKE FAILURE of my NEW Toyota Prius, denying their problem and forcing me to file a lawsuit, Attorney Dan Viera, representing Route 44 Toyota, threatened a SLAPP SUIT only after I posted my experience.

SLAPP is defined as:

Strategic lawsuit against public participation

A strategic lawsuit against public participation (SLAPP) is a lawsuit that is intended to censor, intimidate, and silence critics by burdening them with the cost of a legal defense until they abandon their criticism or opposition.^[1]

After my Attorney provided the evidence Dilly Dally Dan demanded proving that Route 44 Toyota illegally accessed credit reports 3 TIMES, here's part of his weird response:

"I am not at liberty to discuss with you in detail why those claims are both false. 

Route 44 Toyota did the same thing to this customer and in their arrogance, couldn't even have the courtesy to address it --

From: Ripoff Report:

I told the saleman I was in the banking business and dealt with over 100 dealers so that I wouldn't have to go through their demeaning sales tactics. They did not listen. I told the saleman and sales manager three times NOT to pull my credit as this was a cash deal. Without my written consent pulled my credit report with two different bureaus. I was outraged to find this out via my credit alert program I have.

When I tried to get some answers on why this was obtained, the finance manager said they had not pulled it. Then he said, "oh ya, I see it was pulled, but I don't know who did it." Assuring me he would get back to me and did not. I sent a registered letter to the owner of the dealership and the GM. Thus far, no return letter.

But I did receive a phone call back from the most arrogant man who tried in a VERY condoscending way to tell me it was because of OFAC they pulled my credit. I told him I was in banking/VP of Lending for 25 years before he went any further with his either lack of knowledge of the OFAC/credit reporting sytem or just down right arrogance. OFAC is pulled by financial institutions to cross check against a terrorist list before LENDING out money. There was no money being lent out in this transaction. As I explained this to the employee, he said "this conversation is over with". Not only was my transaction/experience with this dealer horrible I had my rights violated with having my credit pulled.

This dealership needs to know they cannot just do whatever they please for their own gain (they tried very hard to get me to finance the deal so they could make even more money) and must starting treating their customers like they have a brain.

Mia2000
Pembroke, Massachusetts
U.S.A.

Doctors firing back at patients’ online critiques

Lawsuits target harsh Web posts

By Liz Kowalczyk

| Globe Staff March 31, 2013

A judge dismissed [Dr.] Filler’s suit, deciding that the patient was exercising free speech on a public issue, and ordered the doctor to pay $50,000 in legal fees.

This highlights the COSTS of SLAPP SUITS which clearly Dilly Dall Dan has failed to reveal to his client, Route 44 Toyota.

While the rating sites are generally immune from libel claims, said Sandra Baron, executive director of the Media Law Resource Center in New York, individuals who post comments are not. In general for a doctor to win such a suit, she said, the statements made by the patient have to be shown to be false and to have hurt the doctor’s reputation.

http://bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/2013/03/30/surgeon-suit-over-criticism-posted-online-patient-husband-part-wave-such-claims/TLAp5DOMpZISPevfLL6B1I/story.html