Williams v. Rutherford Freight Lines, Inc.

GRAHAM, Judge.

Where false statements are actionable only per quod, some special damage must be pleaded and proved. 5 Strong, N. C. Index 2d, Libel and Slander, § 4, p. 207, and cases therein cited. “When items of special damage are claimed each shall be averred.” G.S. 1A-1, Rule 9(g). Special damage, as that term is used in the law of defamation, means pecuniary loss, as distinguished from humiliation. Penner v. Elliott, 225 N.C. 33, 33 S.E. 2d 124; Scott v. Harrison, 215 N.C. 427, 2 S.E. 2d 1; Payne v. Thomas, 176 N.C. 401, 97 S.E. 212; 1 McIntosh, N. C. Practice & Procedure 2d, § 991, p.…