Most people have seen the stories of big injury settlements being made against homeowners, whether it’s from a friend, family member or stranger being hurt on someone’s property. It’s certainly something that many people worry about, as they realize it can be nearly impossible to stop an accident happening on their premises, so how can they protect their assets in case of legal action?
Keep your home as safe as possible
While you can’t prevent all accidents, it’s important to make your home as safe as possible so that, in the event of a lawsuit, you can show that you took reasonable measures to prevent injuries. Make sure you don’t have damaged trees or loose items in your front yard, and make sure the interior of your home is safe and well-maintained. You should also ensure you don’t have an attractive nuisance in view. This is an item that is tempting for children to play with, and that you know could be accessed by children. Attractive nuisances are decided on a case to case basis but have included items from abandoned cars to swimming pools, so make sure neighbors’ children can’t get onto your property.
Insure yourself from lawsuits
In order to protect current and future assets, you might want to consider an umbrella policy. An umbrella policy can protect you from the cost of a lawsuit because of an accident in your home or while you’re in your car. This is helpful because lawsuits can easily run into millions of dollars when you factor in costs such as paying medical expenses, legal fees, and lost wages. Many people think that their home insurance or auto insurance will cover them if there’s a lawsuit, but there are often quite low limits on policies, so you may need extra protection. Getting a lawsuit cash advance can give you the necessary funds to combat the lawsuit without having to use your savings account. This way you can continue your lifestyle as usual and not feel the financial burden of a lawsuit while getting representation.
Know what to do if you’re being sued
As a homeowner, you’re usually responsible for things that happen on your property, so if someone gets injured, you could end up having to deal with a lawsuit. If you’re being sued, then it may be taken care of by your insurance company. Although there are ways to protect yourself, this can still be distressing to deal with, so if you’re being sued it’s important to get legal advice as soon as possible.
You’ll normally have to go in for a deposition, which is an out-of-court testimony. However, before you make any statements, it’s worth finding a lawyer on charlestonlaw.net who specializes in these kinds of cases. The last thing you want to do is incriminate yourself or say something that could be twisted round in court.
Depositions will also be taken from the plaintiff and from medical experts and people such as witnesses to the incident. This means that not only will you get a chance to put your side of the story across, but the claim will be well scrutinized. Some cases are settled out of court by your insurance companies, which can make the process quicker.