The first lawsuit that a company faces is often a learning experience for the owners. If you’re in this position, your primary concern is going to be protecting the company that you spent your time building. While each situation has some unique considerations, there are some steps that almost always need to be taken swiftly. These might be done when you learn about the lawsuit, but you may institute some if you think you’ll be sued.
One of the most important first steps is to contact your attorney. This gives them the opportunity to alert you to any circumstances that might require specific actions. The advice is almost always going to help you to protect the company and yourself.
You shouldn’t ever discuss the matter with the other side. Direct any communication to go through your attorney so that it can be handled appropriately. This helps ensure that nothing is said that will hurt your side, and it can also help to take the emotions out of the communication.
Set a policy at work that will eliminate the chance that any evidence related to the matter will be destroyed. If there are things that might have to be altered or that will naturally change because of the nature of the business, you might consider taking photographs of it.
You should also alert your insurance company. Some policies might cover certain aspects of lawsuits against your company, so find out what might be possible.
When you’re facing a lawsuit against your company, always be sure to set a plan for addressing the matter. Trying to handle it without a plan could mean that you make errors that can be costly.