Protect Yourself When a Lawsuit is Coming
When a lawsuit is on the horizon or you are fearful of being sued, you need to move quickly to protect yourself and, by extension, any evidence that might be relevant to your case. The first step in safeguarding oneself is to gather and save documents. If you fail to save all evidence that could be relevant in court, you may face serious penalties. Here are four things to think about before filing a lawsuit to avoid being accused of withholding information.
Hire a Lawyer
Hiring an attorney will help you and your company avoid harm. An expert attorney is familiar with the legal system and can advise you on how to effectively prepare if you are facing a lawsuit. An attorney may even be able to assist you in avoiding the lawsuit altogether.
Be Mindful of Online Communications
With modern technology, it’s believed that 95 percent of new records are electronic. When obtaining all essential papers for the occurrence, keep in mind that documentation isn’t just on paper. Evidence includes call records, emails, instant messages, voicemails, and texts.
Search your company’s central server for evidence, then go on to the computers of any associates who may have been involved in the event. Personal computers, cell phones, and external memory units may all need to be checked. Gather any electronic correspondence and give them to your attorney as soon as possible.
Check Surveillance and Security Equipment
Take advantage of any additional devices that your company uses that collect any form of data. Employee keycards, company printers, security cameras, fax machines, GPS systems, and employee keycards may all include important information that must be kept. Some devices only keep data for a set period of time, so act fast in collecting this information and copying it to your own memory storage device.
Protect Passwords
As long as it is appropriate, you should ask any involved parties to change their passwords to secure your data from unwanted access. Updating passwords on a regular basis is generally a good practice that can help safeguard your data from being manipulated or shared. You may also consider locking any unattended computers.
One of the best ways to safeguard you or your company from lawsuits is to keep meticulous records and retain records if there is any suspicion of an oncoming lawsuit.
