Assisted by Elisabeth Krstanovski
Although Google reviews provide a forum for valuable opinions
and criticism, false reviews can result in complex legal battles
and it is important to be aware of the principles of
defamation.
The case of
Tavaloki v Imisides (No 4) [2019] NSWSC 717 explores an
incident in which Cynthia Imisides was ordered to pay $530,000 in
damages for defaming Sydney based Cosmetic Plastic Surgeon, Dr
Kourosh Tavakoli.
The Facts
On 9 February 2017, Dr Tavakoli performed various cosmetic
procedures on Ms Imsidies. The claim by the plaintiff, Dr Tavakoli,
arose from a Google review posted by Ms Imsidies on 1 September
2017 in which Ms Imsidies alleged that she was charged for a
cosmetic procedure which Dr Tavakoli had not performed. Due to
this, the rate of visitors to Dr Tavaloki's website dropped by
around 23% in one week.
