Jury in Yelp Lawsuit in Fairfax County: Neither Side Wins

The $750,000 lawsuit brought by a contractor against a woman who gave him a bad review on Yelp ended in a draw for both sides Friday night, according to a report in the Washington Post.

The five-day trial in a Fairfax County courtroom that started last Monday had the jurors deliberating for eight hours. The verdict: Neither side would be paid any damages, the Post reported.

The woman, Jane Perez, gave the contractor, Christopher Dietz, a one-star review on Yelp that complained of shoddy work he did on her townhouse. He turned around and sued her, saying her review cost him $300,000 in lost business.

The legal tussle began in 2012 when Dietz sued Perez and eventually landed in a Fairfax County courtroom last week after earlier hearings and rulings.

Both claimed victory after Friday's verdict, the Post reported. “I think freedom of speech won in this case, and that’s a good message to send,” Perez told the newspaper. Dietz told the paper he felt he was vindicated.

What do you think of online reviews? Helpful or not?