Cunningham v. Simpson

Opinion

TOBRINER, J.

Defendants Russell Simpson and Farmers and Merchants Bank of Long Beach appeal from a judgment, entered pursuant to a jury verdict, awarding plaintiff $25,000 for damages resulting from a slanderous statement. We have concluded that although the' evidence sufficiently supports the jury finding of liability, the amount of awarded damages, in light of the competent evidence, is excessive.

Plaintiff, a former car dealer in Long Beach, bought a 1958 Thunderbird automobile from Virgil Slater in Wichita, Kansas, and agreed to pay the purchase price of $1,950 by draft drawn by…