actionable per se

Actions that do not require the allegation or proof of additional facts to constitute a cause of action nor any allegation or proof that damages were suffered. An example, in libel or slander, is a statement that obviously damages a person’s reputation (such as “Mr. Smith is a sex offender”) that does not require any reference to circumstances or facts to understand its defamatory meaning. In such actions, the plaintiff does not have to prove that he suffered any damages in order to have a cause of action.