You Have Been Sued — What Now?

By some estimates, a typical American has a 10% chance of getting sued in any given year and about a 33% chance of being sued in their lifetime. Your risk mostly depends on your exposure: the kind of work you do, your activities, your assets, your associates, etc.

In certain instances, you will have an insurance company to call upon when you are served and named a defendant in a lawsuit. Auto accidents are a prime example. If you are involved in an auto accident and the other driver believes it to be your fault, you may wind up getting sued in court. Auto liability insurance policies protect you in these instances and your insurance company will provide you with legal defense and be responsible for any damages awarded against you in court up to the policy coverage limits.

Don't Panic- Contact Your Insurance Agent

If you get served a lawsuit as a result of an auto accident, don’t panic. Usually, your insurance company is already aware of the situation. Contact your agent so that the insurance company can properly defend your interests and give you the protection that you are entitled to under the policy.

Unfortunately, there are instances where you can find yourself being sued and there is no insurance company to defend you. These include: business disputes, debts, personal disputes, property disputes and many others. In these cases, the very first thing you do is contact a lawyer.

The North Carolina Rules of Civil Procedure

Civil litigation in North Carolina is conducted according to the North Carolina Rules of Civil Procedure. These rules spell out very specifically the procedures involved in litigating civil lawsuits in this state. There are specific time deadlines and paperwork requirements that must be adhered to at all times. Failing to understand and follow these rules can be devastating to even the most meritorious defenses against a lawsuit. This is where the services of an experienced civil litigation attorney are vital.

Service of lawsuits usually takes place when the defendant receives the summons and complaint by certified mail or personal delivery from the sheriff. If this happens to you, call The Doyle Law Offices, P.A. at  (984) 235-1067 as soon as possible. You only have 30 days to file your answer with the court.

Don’t think that just because the allegations in the complaint may be untrue, that you can just ignore it. Failing to follow the rules and meet the deadlines could result in you losing the lawsuit without ever having the chance to argue your case in court.

Contact an Experienced Litigation Attorney

At The Doyle Law Offices, P.A. we have been helping people defend against lawsuits for over 25 years. Hopefully, you will never get sued, but if you do, call our law firm at  (984) 235-1067 or fill out the form below.