GRYDER WINS - $1.2M Defamation Case Reversed

Weird, nothing comes up from this year except a page listing wild content creator lawsuits.
 
If I read the appeals court document correctly, due to bad wording on the request for alternative service, the summary judgement was reversed. Means he has to go to trial now.

SH: Use his name and judgement appeal in the search terms. Should come up with the appeals court order issued on the 24th of this month.
 
Appellate decision can be read here.

Not quite a “WIN.” Basic procedural issue. The appellate court determined he wasn’t properly served so the default judgment against him was improper. Now the case goes back to the trial court where it proceeds normally*.


(* to the extent anything involving Gryder is “normal.”)
 
If I read the appeals court document correctly, due to bad wording on the request for alternative service, the summary judgement was reversed.
Hmmm.

"the affidavit of non-service was devoid of any information to support that Gryder could probably be found where the process server had attempted to serve him.

The affidavit of non-service here indicates the opposite of what Rule 106(b)requires. "

Doesn't seem like mere bad wording to me. It looks like a failure to serve as required by law. I can't see that any wording that was not perjurious could have corrected that.

But maybe that is indeed bad wording?

I didn't find the "Judgment" but this document contains a "Conclusion" that states the judgment.


Searching on the case number turned it up. 02-23-00434-cv
 
I dunno. I think there is a place in this world for Monday morning Youtube quarterbacks to pontificate about aircraft accidents. I find Gryder to be reasonable most of the time. The alternative is everyone shuts up for fear of being sued like this and we learn nothing from these accidents.
 
I dunno. I think there is a place in this world for Monday morning Youtube quarterbacks to pontificate about aircraft accidents. I find Gryder to be reasonable most of the time. The alternative is everyone shuts up for fear of being sued like this and we learn nothing from these accidents.
Pro tip: It isn't his Monday morning quarterbacking that makes him so disliked.
 
I dunno. I think there is a place in this world for Monday morning Youtube quarterbacks to pontificate about aircraft accidents. I find Gryder to be reasonable most of the time. The alternative is everyone shuts up for fear of being sued like this and we learn nothing from these accidents.
Couple other guys that are far more reliable and don't have to make up **** to be first.
 
Appellate decision can be read here.
Thank you!
Not quite a “WIN.” Basic procedural issue.
Shocking that he'd call it a win. :rolleyes:
The appellate court determined he wasn’t properly served so the default judgment against him was improper. Now the case goes back to the trial court where it proceeds normally*.
:popcorn:
(* to the extent anything involving Gryder is “normal.”)
I think my "favorite" thing I've seen in a Gryder court transcript was when they went briefly off the record, and then the judge came back on and said he'd been spoken to by building security and that "Mr. Gryder came into the building and had on his person an item that is not permitted in this building. And when he was told to check it in with the guard and leave it there and pick it up on his way out, he ran off and came up here."

At which point the judge lectured him about why courthouses have security and then instructed Gryder to go back down to security and check his "item" with them, and:

JUDGE BENKIN: And, Mr. Gryder, it's up to you, but I would suggest that an apology is in order.
MR. GRYDER: I apologize, Your Honor.
JUDGE BENKIN: Don't apologize to me, apologize to those people downstairs.
MR. GRYDER: Yes, sir.
JUDGE BENKIN: Keep that on the record, please.
(Whereupon, a short recess was taken.)

I dunno. I think there is a place in this world for Monday morning Youtube quarterbacks to pontificate about aircraft accidents. I find Gryder to be reasonable most of the time. The alternative is everyone shuts up for fear of being sued like this and we learn nothing from these accidents.
The problem is, Gryder does come off as reasonable at first glance, but after you've looked at what he says, what he does, or had a discussion with him directly, you realize that he's actually full of crap. I mean, the guy has literally gone to an accident site and stolen evidence. He legitimately knows plenty about aviation, but he thinks he knows everything about everything.

And that's not to say that he has nothing to contribute to the aviation safety conversation. He does have some good ideas too, but they're awfully hard to separate from the complete BS, and so I can't say I would recommend anyone listen to him.

There is definitely a place in this world for pontificating about aircraft accidents. Even if we don't know the actual cause, it's good to put ourselves into those situations and think about how we would have reacted and things we could have done better. That informs our own flying and makes us better pilots*.

FWIW, I don't think I've heard of any of the other channels ever getting sued. Only Gryder "pontificates" to the point of defamation.
 
Shocking that he'd call it a win. :rolleyes:
I'm of the opinion that Dan is a scumbag ambulance chaser on the basis of his actions on youtube as well as the multiple issues working their way through the courts. I'm amused that there is one mod here that seems to like him and keeps shutting down Dan threads, but I suppose that's another subject.

Having stated my bias: Dan absolutely won. Having a judgement set aside (summary or not) is absolutely a victory. Let him have his victory lap. This isn't close to being over.
 
I'm of the opinion that Dan is a scumbag ambulance chaser on the basis of his actions on youtube as well as the multiple issues working their way through the courts. I'm amused that there is one mod here that seems to like him and keeps shutting down Dan threads, but I suppose that's another subject.
Really? I've not seen any get shut down, and there's plenty still open... I would imagine that if there are threads getting shut down they're probably ones where something potentially lawsuit-worthy got in. :dunno:
Having stated my bias: Dan absolutely won. Having a judgement set aside (summary or not) is absolutely a victory. Let him have his victory lap. This isn't close to being over.
Won the battle, maybe, but I doubt he'll win the war.
 
At the risk of sounding like I don't know what is going on, what is the issue with Gryder?
 
He did a hatchet job on someone, using information that was known to be incorrect and spewed it all over the net via his channel. When he was sued over it, he failed to defend his actions and lost the original suit. On his appeal, the loss on the original suit was vacated and he will now have to actually settle or go to trial.
 
I for one will be pleased if this goes to trial. Watching Dan being cross examined is a video I would watch, not that I will get to see that, I might have to settle for a transcript.

This is no doubt the correct choice for Dan. Defamation lawsuits are relatively hard to win, I find it unlikely that taking this to trial will result in a worse outcome than the default judgment for him. That is of course if he hires a competent lawyer to represent him, if he tries to represent himself all bets are off.
 
Really? I've not seen any get shut down, and there's plenty still open... I would imagine that if there are threads getting shut down they're probably ones where something potentially lawsuit-worthy got in. :dunno:
Here are the two I remember well enough to search for and find. I believe there are at least two more.

 
I'm amused that there is one mod here that seems to like him and keeps shutting down Dan threads, but I suppose that's another subject.

Here are the two I remember well enough to search for and find. I believe there are at least two more.

One of those was shut down after 472 replies, and the other after 698. If that's a moderator showing favoritism toward Dan, they're pretty darn lazy about it.
 
The challenge here is that since the original filing, more information and a final report has been published on the crash. https://www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?do=main.textpost&id=f9b97bf1-fbe4-492c-846c-cb577cfa4683 The plane was over gross. Within CG, but 225lbs too heavy.

Dan made a few other statements about Charles being there, ill with Covid, coming to the site of the crash, etc., but I don't think those were defamatory. Some of these statements may not be 100% factually correct (maybe partially correct), but does it "damage" Charles? That is what will have to be sorted out.

We will see what happens next. Will it go back to trial or will Mr. Cook fold up his tent and go home. Time will tell. I have my popcorn ready.
 
One of those was shut down after 472 replies, and the other after 698. If that's a moderator showing favoritism toward Dan, they're pretty darn lazy about it.
The flip-side to that argument is that long threads like that show persistent interest and engagement, so why on earth are they being shut down except to protect him? I mean, jesus, we have a 17 year old thread that has absolutely nothing to do with aviation and has 455 pages of responses, but is still open for more despite one of those Gryder threads being shutdown because "This thread has long deviated from any aviation-related content." The deviation in question being about Dan's legal exposure.
 
Dan made a few other statements about Charles being there, ill with Covid, coming to the site of the crash, etc., but I don't think those were defamatory. Some of these statements may not be 100% factually correct (maybe partially correct), but does it "damage" Charles?
The alleged defamation is when Dan said that Cook had an affair, lied about his health to the FAA and sold a defective airplane.
 
I mean, jesus, we have a 17 year old thread that has absolutely nothing to do with aviation and has 455 pages of responses, but is still open for more...
You mean the one posted in this forum? The one specifically designated for any topic you like, aviation related or otherwise?

Hangar Talk​

Open forum for discussion of any topic you like, aviation related or otherwise.​
 
You mean the one posted in this forum? The one designated for any topic you like, aviation related or otherwise?

Hangar Talk​

Open forum for discussion of any topic you like, aviation related or otherwise.​
Then move the gryder threads there and reopen them! :)
 
The challenge here is that since the original filing, more information and a final report has been published on the crash….

I’m not sure what that has to do with the complaints in the defamation suit.
 
An article on Captain Zoom's site about Dan Gryder is the link I am least likely to click, ever.
This situation does remind me of when Zoom sued me and 14 others, ~25 years ago. In my case, the suit was dismissed due to improper service. Campbell was given six months to re-serve me, but never did.

Could I claim that I'd "won" the lawsuit? Certainly didn't lose it....

Instead, I refer to it as "Campbell's unsuccessful lawsuit."

Ron Wanttaja
 
I dunno. I think there is a place in this world for Monday morning Youtube quarterbacks to pontificate about aircraft accidents. I find Gryder to be reasonable most of the time. The alternative is everyone shuts up for fear of being sued like this and we learn nothing from these accidents.
Rather than everyone shutting up, maybe they could just not make up s*** about people they don't know. Although I guess everybody other than DG is already doing that. So yeah, in his case I think the alternative of just shutting up would actually be better.
 
Comments about flying, airplanes and such are fair game. Pilot training and experience too. But personal life details are very subjective and easily twisted, so that is a line that needs tiptoeing. Dan ran right through it like a linebacker.
 
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