HATZULAS NEFASHOS SERVES LAKEWOOD ALERTS $1 MILLION DEFAMATION LAWSUIT

Hatzulas Nefashos, a rapidly growing EMS organization, has just slammed Lakewood Alerts with a $1 million defamation lawsuit, FAA News has learned.

This new lawsuit is in addition to the $1 million defamation lawsuit Hatzulas Nefashos recently slammed against YeshivaWorld News.

According to the complaint filed in New Jersey Superior Court in Ocean County by New York Attorney Scott Levenson, Esq.:

On or about September 4, 2024, Lakewood Alerts published an article on its website entitled “We warned you Jackson child in critical condition after Hatzulas Nefashos botches emergency response.” Said article contains various false and defamatory statement against Hatzulas Nefashos, namely that their ambulance service “botched” its emergency response and that the continued operation of their ambulance service constituted an overt and ongoing threat to the health and safety of Ocean County residents – particularly those in Ocean County’s Orthodox Jewish Community.

The complaint alleges three causes of action:

i) Trade Libel - Lakewood Alerts knowingly and recklessly disseminated false and disparaging statements and allegations about Hatzulas Nefashos to third parties, including but not limited to, the false and defamatory statements set forth above.

At the time Lakewood Alerts disseminated these false and defamatory statements, they could have and reasonably should have foreseen such statements were likely to be material to Hatzulas Nefashos's relationships with its current and prospective patients.

In spite of Lakewood Alerts's knowledge that the statements were false, or in reckless disregard of the falsity of those statements, they intentionally sought to tarnish, not only Hatzulas Nefashos's reputation, but its existing and prospective business relationships. 

As a result of these false representations to Hatzulas Nefashos's current and prospective patients, and any party that may have wanted or needed to utilize their ambulance service, they lost revenue and ambulance service calls that were reasonably likely to be placed but for Lakewood Alerts's libel of them.

Accordingly, Lakewood Alerts's false and disparaging statements to such third parties played a material part in inducing numerous third parties not to call for Hatzulas Nefashos's ambulance service, thereby harming their goodwill and business reputation.

Lakewood Alerts acted in bad faith in publishing and disseminating false and defamatory statements about Hatzulas Nefashos. Their conduct constitutes commercial disparagement and trade libel.

ii) Defamation per se - Lakewood Alerts made false and defamatory statements of fact regarding Hatzulas Nefashos.

Such statements clearly identify, denigrate and disparage Hatzulas Nefashos and are highly offensive.

Lakewood Alerts either knew or should have known that these published statements are false.

In disseminating and publishing such statements, Lakewood Alerts either knew such statements were false, or acted with reckless disregard for the statements’ truth or falsity. Since the subject false statements made by Lakewood Alerts are directed against Hatzulas Nefashos's business, the same constitutes defamation per se, as a matter of law.

iii) Tortious interference with prospective economic advantage - Hatzulas Nefashos has a protected interest in advantageous business relationships with prospective customers in Ocean County. Lakewood Alerts knew of these protected interests in Hatzulas Nefashos's advantageous business and potential business relationships.

Lakewood Alerts intentionally, wrongfully, and without justification disseminated false and defamatory statements to Hatzulas Nefashos's current and prospective customers.

Lakewood Alerts knew that by disseminating false and defamatory statements via their website, it would materially interfere with Hatzulas Nefashos's business by influencing their current and prospective customers not to deal with them.

As a result of Lakewood Alerts's false representations, Hatzulas Nefashos's current and prospective customers have, in fact, refused to utilize their ambulance service, thereby causing them pecuniary loss.

Such dealings were reasonably likely to have occurred but for Lakewood Alerts's interference, resulting in damage to Hatzulas Nefashos in the form of tarnished reputation, diminished goodwill, lost profit and revenue.

Lakewood Alerts acted in bad faith in disseminating his false and defamatory statements to Hatzulas Nefashos's current and prospective customers. Hatzulas Nefashos has lost opportunities to enter into prospective agreements and business relationships as a result of Lakewood Alerts's tortious interference.

Lakewood Alerts made the statements knowing that they were false and/or misleading when made, and did so for the purpose of interfering or attempting to interfere with Hatzulas Nefashos's business relationships, and for the purpose of harming them.

Their conduct constitutes tortious interference with Hatzulas Nefashos's economic advantage.

As a direct and proximate result of the tortious interference, Hatzulas Nefashos has incurred, is suffering and will likely continue to suffer damages.

The lawsuit seeks judgment against Lakewood Alerts for $1 million in damages, plus reasonable attorneys’ fees, costs of suit, and such other and further relief as this Court may deem equitable and just.

Lakewood Alerts has 35 days to answer the complaint.

To join the FAA News WhatsApp Status, click here.