Opinion ID: 511771
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: The O'Neil statement

Text: 61 While testifying at trial, an EKG technician, Ann O'Neil, provided surprise testimony that Nanavati called Sorensen a senile old doctor that had been there [the Hospital] for 20 years killing patients. Trial Transcript 6/30/86 p. 160. The statement was uttered in the course of a November 1985 conversation in which Nanavati complained to O'Neil that Sorensen had a locked drawer in which to keep his prescription pads but that he, Nanavati, did not. O'Neil testified that she was the only one to hear the comment alleging Sorensen's incompetence and senility and did not believe it. Additionally, she testified that when she challenged Nanavati, he asserted: That's not opinion, that's facts. Id. at 159. Finally, O'Neil testified that she wrote the statement down and two days later gave it to her superior at the Hospital. 62 Upon hearing O'Neil's testimony, Sorensen successfully moved for leave to amend, over objection, to add this statement as a ground for his defamation claim. Nanavati claims that the mid-trial amendment was an abuse of discretion. He also submits that the statement to O'Neil caused no injury. In our view, the injury alleged here borders on the metaphysical. The facts indicate that no one who heard the slander believed it, and those who repeated the slander did so only to express outrage at the speaker. The entire situation seems more like a fiendish law school hypothetical gone amok than a compensable claim for slander. We believe that New Jersey would not compensate for slander under these facts. See Sisler v. Gannett New York Newspaper, Inc., 104 N.J. 256, 516 A.2d 1083 (1986). Therefore we need not reach the question whether the court abused its discretion by permitting Sorensen to add this claim for slander so late in the proceedings. 63 In sum, we hold that statements # 1-5 constitute protected opinion and that New Jersey would not permit recovery upon them under the circumstances of this case. The defamation awards will therefore be set aside. 64