Columbia, Missouri Invasion of Privacy Lawyers

Invasion of Privacy

A lawyer you can trust to protect your rights is critical in a claim involving invasion of privacy. Missouri law protects an individual from intrusion into, and publicity about, the individual's private affairs. If you feel you have been the subject of an illegal violation of privacy, and have suffered embarrassment or economic loss as a result, or the violator has made a financial gain as a result, you may be entitled to compensation.

If you would like to discuss your situation with an attorney, contact Lear & Werts L.L.P. to make arrangements for a free consultation. Lawyers at the Columbia, Missouri, law firm have successfully represented clients with claims of invasion of privacy.

Illegal violations of privacy can be difficult to distinguish from otherwise lawful conduct. Some examples are discussed below.

Intrusion upon Seclusion

If someone intentionally intrudes, physically or otherwise, upon the privacy or seclusion of another in a way that goes beyond the limits of decency, the person has committed the offense of intrusion upon seclusion. This may not involve trespass, and it is sometimes referred to as voyeurism. The victim may be entitled to a claim for emotional distress.

Illegal intrusion may involve using deception to gain access to a person's home, entering without permission, opening mail, or audio or video surveillance in a place that the person observed reasonably expects to be private. Whether the violation of privacy was the act of a "peeping Tom" or a security camera in a dressing room or bathroom, a qualified attorney can review the totality of the circumstances of your case and identify any illegal conduct.

Publication of Private Embarrassing Facts

People do not have the right to publish embarrassing facts simply because they are true. If the facts involve the person's private life, cause shame or humiliation, and the person does not give permission, publication may be illegal. Examples found to be illegal include showing film footage of a person in a hospital bed recovering from an eating disorder and individuals at a gathering of participants in a hospital's in vitro fertilization program. If a person has suffered the publication of private facts that are patently objectionable and the public has no legitimate need for the information, then she may have a valid claim for invasion of privacy.

Identity Appropriation

The law recognizes an individual's right to profit from or exploit his or her own image and personal information. This includes the offense of appropriation of publicity.

At Lear & Werts L.L.P., in Columbia, Missouri, invasion of privacy lawyers provide legal services to clients throughout the state, focusing on cases handled in mid-Missouri (central Missouri) and the Columbia area including cities of Jefferson City, Fayette, Booneville, Fulton, and Huntsville, and communities throughout Boone County and Cole, Howard, Cooper, Chariton, Linn, Adair, Macon, Shelby, Randolph, Saline, Pettis, Morgan, Moniteau, Benton, Saint Clair, Cedar, Hickory, Camden, Laclede, Miller, Osage, Callaway, and Montgomery counties.