Wachen Wins $250,000 in Damages in Social Media Defamation trial

On May 8, 2026, a federal court jury in Maryland awarded Wachen LLC's clients $250,000 in compensatory and punitive damages from false and defamatory statements posted on social media (Twitter/X and Wikipedia) and communicated to the clients' health insurance providers. The Defendant had accused the Plaintiffs (a retired professional athlete and his wife) of committing insurance fraud and other bad acts. The Defendant had also obligated one of the Plaintiffs for private school tuition without his knowledge and consent.

Plaintiffs sued Defendant for defamation, false light invasion of privacy, and fraud, seeking compensation for reputational, economic, and emotional damage caused by Defendant's actions. Plaintiffs also sought punitive damages to punish Defendant for her egregious conduct and to deter others from such behavior.

Wachen LLC's David Wachen represented Plaintiffs at trial and throughout the litigation.

Following a week-long trial, and after deliberating less than two hours, the jury awarded Plaintiffs $250,000 in compensatory and punitive damages for the harm caused by Defendant.