The plaintiff commenced this action alleging, inter alia, that the defendants had made certain slanderous statements. “Slander as a rule is not actionable unless the plaintiff suffers special damage. Special damages contemplate the loss of something having economic or pecuniary value” (Liberman v Gelstein, 80 NY2d 429, 434-435 [1992] [internal quotation marks and citations omitted]). “The four established exceptions [to the requirement of special damages] (collectively ‘slander per se’) consist of statements (i) charging plaintiff with a serious crime; (ii) that tend to injure another in his or her trade, business or profession; (iii) that plaintiff has a loathsome disease; or (iv) imputing unchastity to a woman” (id. at 435). Here, the plaintiff failed to plead that he suffered special damages with the requisite particularity (see Matherson v Marchello, 100 AD2d 233, 236 [1984]). Moreover, contrary to the plaintiffs
In light of our determination, we need not reach the plaintiff s remaining contention. Eng, P.J., Leventhal, Hall and Lott, JJ., concur.