Most libel and slander cases today involve a trial by jury, and punitive damages are possible. On occasion, you may see a claim of libel or slander added to a lawsuit that would seem to have nothing to do with libel or slander. One common area is employment practice lawsuits, where punitive damages are not allowed in connection with most basic allegations. That's often easier than you would think since rumors tend to abound when a person is fired or quits employment, and it is relatively common for the boss to say some things about the departed employee that may be somewhat beyond the strict truth. The same boss also may try to justify a questionable firing by putting comments in the employee's personnel file that aren't supported by the facts.
Defamation is false or misleading injury to someone's reputation.
Libel, in the old days, was strictly written defamation, while slander was spoken defamation. However, in these high-tech days, the two concepts have been mixed together. It was still a crime if the statements were injurious to an important person's reputation. But nowadays in the United States, truth is a defense. Many people, however, think that defense is broader than it is.