Two months after its CEO, Brian Thompson, was shot and killed in broad daylight, UnitedHealth Group is fighting back on what the company calls “defamation” claims. According to Bloomberg Law, the company hired a defamation law firm to take on people who posted what the company believes to be “untrue” and “reckless” claims.
Virginia-based law firm Clare Locke LLP is representing UnitedHealth Group. This is the same law firm that co-represented Dominion Voting Systems following the 2020 election. Dominion sued Fox News Channel for $1.6 billion. The conservative media giant settled, paying Dominion $787.5 million.
According to the law firm’s website, the team is “dedicated to litigating complex defamation matters and representing clients facing high-profile reputational attacks.”
Clare Locke Threatens Social Media Users With Defamation Lawsuit Over UnitedHealth
Following the death of Thompson, many social media users responded with a firestorm of opinions, including a lack of sympathy. Some users voiced that his death comes as no surprise and pointed out what many say is a broken healthcare system.
Many users highlighted their own experiences with the health insurance giant, with many users pointing out instances when their procedures were denied.According to Fortune.com, Dr. Elisabeth Potter, a plastic surgeon, posted a video on Instagram claiming UnitedHealthcare called her mid-surgery to justify an in-patient stay for a woman with breast cancer who needed a surgical procedure to treat it. Dr. Potter says United ultimately denied her an overnight stay and threatened her with legal action for the posts.
Days later, she posted screen grabs of the letter, which appears to be from Clare Locke. The letter states, “We are writing to demand you correct your knowingly false, misleading, and defamatory posts regarding UnitedHealthcare.”
According to Potter, the insurer contacted her, claiming she made an error. Potter claims Clare Locke also demands a public apology and a retraction of her accusations.
“I am a woman taking care of women affected by breast cancer,” Potter said on X.
“I do this work with all of my heart, and I will continue to speak up for my patients –– because they deserve better.”RELATED CONTENT: Drake Sues Universal Music Group, Claims Label Boosted Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Not Like Us’ To Damage Career