Being sued by a customer is not a good experience for any organization or business. Even worse is not being prepared to deal with. Unpreparedness in such circumstances can lead to not only monetary loss but also loss of reputation which can greatly affect your business’ future prospects. Let’s look at some of things that you need to do when in a sticky situation like this.
Don’t delay
When faced with a situation like this, under no circumstance should you ignore the lawsuit. Failing to respond within the designated time frame can lead to the judgment going against you by default. Even if you are able to set aside the default judgment, the failing to respond in time can lead to the lawsuit being very expensive for you and your business in the long term. You need to get in touch with lawyers who are experienced in dealing with such disputes and will be able to provide you with proper guidance.
Preserve everything
It is very important that you safeguard all your documents that are related to the claim. This even includes each and every document that is related to the ongoing proceeding. Also, maintain a record of how and when you received these documents. Make sure that you don’t destroy any evidence related to the ongoing claim as this might turn the tide against you. Missing evidence on your side will only go on to hamper your reputation and will weaken your defense.
Don’t get in touch with Plaintiff
Make sure that you don’t make any statement to the other side or their lawyers. Any statement that you make can be used against you in the ongoing proceeding, by using your statement as an evidence. Hence, it is of paramount importance that you are extremely careful in what you say or write to the other side.
Check for insurance
Check if you have insurance that might help cover the lawsuit in question. Most insurance policies require you to provide your insurance companies with a prompt notice related to the ongoing proceedings. Any undue delay might give some leverage to your insurance company to delay or deny the coverage. Your lawyers can aptly assist you in such processes.
The initiation of legal action and making allegations alone does not give any merit to the case. Most legal processing’s are reviewed or screened before commencement. But, this does not take away from the fact that this is a court proceeding that should be taken seriously. Any carelessness on your part can lead to huge losses. If you own a business that has been sued and don’t know how to proceed, then our legal team will be more than happy to provide you with relevant advice.