Dun & Bradstreet, Inc. v. Greenmoss Builders, Inc.
United States Supreme Court
472 U.S. 749 (1985)
Relevant factsFree
Dun & Bradstreet (defendant) sent five subscribers a false credit report stating that Greenmoss Builders (plaintiff) had filed for bankruptcy, an error caused by an employee's good-faith mistake. Greenmoss sued for libel and won presumed and punitive damages at trial; the trial court granted Dun & Bradstreet a new trial, but the Vermont Supreme Court reversed and reinstated the verdict for Greenmoss. The U.S. Supreme Court granted certiorari.
IssueFree
Whether a court may permit recovery of presumed and punitive damages in a defamation case, absent a showing of actual malice, when the defamatory statements do not involve matters of public concern.
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