Steps To Take If Your Business Is Sued

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mediation lawyer Gig Harbor, WAIt is understandable for any business owner facing a lawsuit to feel a great deal of stress about the matter no matter what side of the legal action you are on. Lawsuits can come from a number of different parties, including customers, suppliers, current or former employees, or even other companies. No matter what type of lawsuit you are facing, there are steps you can take to protect yourself. In order to best protect your legal rights and financial interests, it is important to contact a breach of contract lawyer as soon as possible.

Understand the Lawsuit

Plaintiffs are required to notify a defendant that a lawsuit has been filed. Once you receive notification of legal action, you need to have a skilled and experienced breach of contract lawyer review the lawsuit so that they can determine the best way to protect your company.

There are two major (and very common) mistakes that you need to avoid at this stage of the process:

  • Do not wait to take action – You need to get out in front of the issue. Get your case in the hands of your attorney immediately. By waiting and forcing yourself to play catch-up, you will be hurting your own case. When one party files a lawsuit against another party, you only have a specific timeframe in order to respond. Failure to file a timely response and meet the court’s deadline can result in the other party winning their lawsuit without your side even being heard. Remember, a lawsuit will not go away on its own.
  • Do not contact the other party – While you may be tempted to handle the problem on your own, you should never contact the party who filed the lawsuit. By doing this, you risk damaging your own case. Always go through your attorney.

Prepare a Response

Your lawyer will help you determine exactly how to respond to the lawsuit. Often that involves filing the following two common responses:

  • Motion to dismiss – This type of filing is an official request for the court to throw out the lawsuit in question. Ultimately, a motion to dismiss is a procedural request. With this response, you will not be responding to the facts presented by the plaintiff. Instead, you will seek to win the lawsuit on purely technical legal grounds.
  • Answer – Alternatively, you may also need to file an answer. An answer to a lawsuit is a direct contest to the case presented by the plaintiff.

Contact a Business Law Firm

An experienced business lawyer can evaluate your situation and determine what type of legal recourse you may have. Your attorney will also make sure that your company’s best interests are protected. If you are dealing with a contract issue, contact an experienced attorney, like a Des Moines IA breach of contract lawyer from the Law Group of Iowa.