#12 (tie) – $2.5 million | Virginia Lawyers Weekly

#12 (tie) – $2.5 million

By Sarah Rodriguez
Published: January 16, 2008

Omega World Travel v. Mumma

Type of Case: Defamation

Court: U.S. District Court, Alexandria

Attorney: James P. Hodges, Leesburg

Summary: Two companies and their founder alleged that a principal in an Internet service provider had falsely labeled them as spammers on his anti-spam Web site and had posted a photo on the site depicting them in prison garb behind bars. The trial judge granted partial summary judgment before trial in ruling that there was no evidence that the plaintiffs had sent unsolicited bulk e-mail.

The judge reduced the award to $330,000, $10,000 in compensatory damages and $100,000 in punitive damages for each defendant. No appeal was taken.