HATZULAS NEFASHOS SERVES YESHIVA WORLD NEWS $1 MILLION DEFAMATION LAWSUIT

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

According to the complaint filed in New York Supreme Court in Rockland County by New York Attorney Scott Levenson, Esq.:

On or about September 4, 2024, YWN published an article entitled “HORROR: Jackson Child Critical After “Hatzulas Nefashos” Delays Patient Care.” The article contains various false and defamatory statement against Hatzulas Nefashos, namely that the ambulance service “delayed patient care” in its emergency response and that the continued operation of the 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.

Said article also states Plaintiff’s ambulance service has a “dangerous” and “life-threatening presence, and that its emergency response personnel “were wholly unprepared for the gravity of the situation.”

The complaint alleges three causes of action:

i) Trade Libel - YWN 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 Yeshiva World News 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 YWN'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 YWN's libel of them.

Accordingly, YWN'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.

YWN 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 - YWN made false and defamatory statements of fact regarding Hatzulas Nefashos.

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

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

In disseminating and publishing such statements, YWN either knew such statements were false, or acted with reckless disregard for the statements’ truth or falsity. Since the subject false statements made by YWN 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. YWN knew of these protected interests in Hatzulas Nefashos's advantageous business and potential business relationships.

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

YWN 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 YWN'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 YWN's interference, resulting in damage to Hatzulas Nefashos in the form of tarnished reputation, diminished goodwill, lost profit and revenue.

YWN 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 YWN's tortious interference.

YWN 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 YWN 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.

YWN has 20 days to answer the complaint.

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