One unfortunate truth of being in business is that you might at some point get sued or get into some legal trouble. While not every lawsuit will be legitimate, it’s important to know what to do when you do get sued so you are prepared.
Below are a few steps you can take to protect your business if this situation occurs, as told by Brooke Chaplan, in collaboration with Jeffrey Hills and Associates.
Don’t panic
The most important thing you can do when you find out that you’re being sued is to stay calm. Making any kind of rash decisions will almost certainly make things worse, so try to be as dispassionate as possible. Do not take to social media in order to lash out against the person who is suing you and do not make any professional decisions based on the limited information you have now. Staying calm and remaining professional can help you to make it through what comes next.
Contact a lawyer
No matter how frivolous you think the suit may be, you’ll want to take it seriously. Contact your lawyer to ensure that you are prepared for the next steps. In some cases, simply having a lawyer draft a strong-worded letter will be enough. In others, though, you’ll need your lawyer’s professional expertise to navigate the suit. If you don’t already have a law professional with whom you work with, it’s a good time to go ahead and establish that kind of professional relationship.
Consult experts
Now that you’ve talked to a lawyer, you may need to start speaking to experts to build your case. If you are being sued because of a problem in your building, for example, you might need a building defect consultation. Likewise, a suit that has to do with something related to a workplace injury might need the help of someone who specialises in similar accidents.
Prepare for the future
Finally, make sure that you are prepared for any other issues which could cause a lawsuit in the future. If you don’t already have some kind of business insurance in place, it’s wise to think about getting a policy so that you have a bit more of a safety net for next time. You’ll want to take a look at how your business is running and figure out what you can do to weather any future suits that might occur.
Try not to panic if you get sued. With the right professional help, this may just be a minor detour on your road to success. If you can handle a suit carefully, you can get back to the process of making your business a success.
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