SF Plastic Surgeon Files Defamation Claim Against Negative Reviewers Across The Country To Avoid SLAPP

from the slappity-slapp dept

Paul Alan Levy points us to the news of how a San Francisco-based plastic surgeon, Usha Rajagopal, has sued some people who wrote negative reviews of her work for defamation. However, he notes, despite the fact that she's in California and the reviews she's upset about appeared on Google -- a California-based company, she filed her suit in Virginia. Levy suggests that this was done to avoid California's anti-SLAPP statute, which would have allowed for immediate dismissal and the possibility of attorney's fees being awarded for the filing.

As for Rajagopal, Levy also points out that not only does she not like negative reviews, but a recent "devastating" report in SF Weekly, covered how Dr. Rajagopal had hired a firm who appears to have written a bunch of totally bogus positive reviews of her work on various review sites. As for the negative reviews that she's so upset about -- well, as the SF Weekly report notes, not all of Dr. Rajagopal's patients may have been able to express their views online:

Some of Rajagopal's patients disagree about her purported capabilities, as does the Medical Board of California. Documents obtained from the board and San Francisco Superior Court show that some patients -- who have not posted their stories in the comments sections -- have been hurt by Rajagopal. In one instance, a 35-year-old woman who was undergoing a fairly routine plastic surgery didn't get the chance to tell anyone about the quality of the doctor's care. Due to what the medical board has called Rajagopal's "gross negligence," the woman sustained a serious brain injury. She slipped into a coma, and never woke up.

Levy notes that Dr. Rajagopal remains under discipline by the California Medical Board, and highlights the details (pdf) of the case. It's often quite interesting how attempts by people to silence their critics get lots of people to actually investigate the details behind the original claims, isn't it?

As Levy notes, this is yet another reason why we should have a federal anti-SLAPP law to prevent this kind of forum shopping.

Filed Under: anti-slapp, california, defamation, free speech, usha rejagopal