Reverend fell on waiting room table and was slandered, lawsuit says

CHARLESTON - Adding insult was even worse than his injury, a Wyoming County reverend says about a remark made at a doctor's office that hurt his reputation.

Reverend Eual Toler is suing Dr. Robert Ovington in Kanawha Circuit Court for $600,000 because a comment made by one of Ovington's employees implied Toler was on drugs. The lawsuit was filed Aug. 1.

On a trip to Ovington's office for an examination related to a Workers' Compensation claim, Toler says he "attempted to get up from the couch in the waiting room when his right leg gave away, causing him to fall on a coffee table.

"Defendant's agent entered the crowded waiting room and stated in a loud voice that 'Plaintiff Eual Toler was over-drugged.' Plaintiff is a reverend by profession and was embarrassed and humiliated when Defendant's receptionist accused him of falling because of drug use."

Toler says he is known as a "law-abiding, pious and upstanding citizen."

He seeks $500,000 in punitive damages to, he says, deter others in similar situations from making similar remarks. He seeks another $100,000 in compensatory damages.

Belinda Morgan of Fayetteville is representing Toler.

"The defendant and/or his agents have intentionally, maliciously and without just cause slandered the plaintiff's name, business and reputation in the community by knowingly making false, malicious and intentional statements about the plaintiff," the complaint says.

Toler also seeks court costs.

Judge Jennifer Bailey Walker has been assigned the case.

Kanawha Circuit Court case number 06-C-1507