{"id":1268,"date":"2019-05-01T11:28:25","date_gmt":"2019-05-01T11:28:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.insurancebee.com\/blog\/?p=1268"},"modified":"2023-02-08T10:00:20","modified_gmt":"2023-02-08T10:00:20","slug":"would-your-small-business-survive-a-lawsuit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.insurancebee.com\/blog\/would-your-small-business-survive-a-lawsuit","title":{"rendered":"Small business lawsuits: would your company survive?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insurancebee.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/abandoned_office_shutterstock_156416852-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"Would your business survive a lawsuit?\" class=\"wp-image-1267\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insurancebee.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/abandoned_office_shutterstock_156416852-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.insurancebee.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/abandoned_office_shutterstock_156416852.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Being sued ranks high on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insurancebee.com\/blog\/key-findings-insurancebee-risk-survey#sued\">worry list for small business owners<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Which is not surprising, really.&nbsp; With <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rocketlawyer.com\/article\/business-lawsuits-chances-of-getting-sued-ps.rl\">over\n100 million cases being filed annually in US state courts, <\/a>the threat of a lawsuit\u2019s very real.&nbsp;\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And lawsuits don\u2019t come cheap. If a case drags on,\nyou\u2019re looking at legal costs of five, maybe even six, figures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s not such a problem for larger organizations.\nThey\u2019ll often have a chunk of budget set aside specifically to deal with\nlawsuits. &nbsp;But it\u2019s not the sort of cash\nan SMB owner has just lying around. Footing the legal bill alone can be enough\nto put a small firm out of business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Of course, the impact litigation has on your\ncompany isn\u2019t just financial. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A lawsuit takes up so much of your time. Time you\ncould be spending actually running your business. If the press gets hold of the\ncase, any bad publicity can seriously damage your reputation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So what can you do to up your chances of surviving one?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>1) Understand the risks<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>There are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insurancebee.com\/blog\/risks-of-starting-a-new-business\">risks\ninvolved with starting up and running any business<\/a>. Understanding what these are and taking steps to protect yourself from\nthem, is key to your firm\u2019s chances of success. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Part and parcel of this is knowing where a suit\u2019s\nlikely to come from. Breach of contract, a faulty product, or breaking rules \u2013\nany of these could bring one to your door. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But the two most common sources of small business\nlawsuits are your staff and your customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Employee suits<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019d be nice to think you and your employees are\nlike one, big, happy family. That no-one would discriminate, or file a charge.\nAnd in many cases, that\u2019s true.&nbsp; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Unfortunately, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hiscox.com\/documents\/The-2015-Hiscox-Guide-to-Employee-Lawsuits-Employee-charge-trends-across-the-United-States.pdf\">research\nby Hiscox<\/a> shows that 1 in 5 small businesses face employee\nsuits. The most common grounds being: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Salary<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Workplace harassment<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Discrimination (over age, nationality, disability,\ngender, religion or sexual orientation)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Injury in the workplace <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Wrongful dismissal<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Typically taking around 275 days, employee lawsuits\ncost an average of $125,00 to defend. And that\u2019s before a case gets to\ncourt.&nbsp; If it does go to trial and you\nlose, you\u2019re looking at damages averaging $200,000. With 25% of judgments\ncosting more like $500,000. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Customer suits<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Customers might sue because they\u2019re not happy with\nthe product you sold them, or the service you gave. Or because they got injured\non your premises. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They might have grounds. They might not. Don\u2019t\nassume because you run your business in an ethical manner everybody else does. Sadly,\nmore and more frivolous suits are being filed every day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thing is, even if the case is groundless, you\u2019ll\nstill have to find the time and money to defend yourself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yeah. It sucks. But there <em>are<\/em> steps you can take now to protect yourself and your business. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>2) Limit your liability<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.entrepreneur.com\/article\/38822\">Incorporate\nyour business<\/a> in a way that shields your personal assets. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Being a sole proprietor may be easy on the pocket\nand paperwork, but it does mean that the buck stops firmly with you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>An LLC (limited liability company) separates you from your business. If there\u2019s a loss, incident, or claim made against your business, you\u2019re not held personally liable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>3) Stick to the rules<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Limit the risk you\u2019ll be\nfined, or face a lawsuit, by keeping on top of your industry rules and regs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And make sure you\u2019ve got the right <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sba.gov\/business-guide\/launch-your-business\/apply-licenses-permits\">licenses and permits<\/a>. Remember, it\u2019s not just the federal ones you need, there\u2019ll be <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sba.gov\/business-guide\/launch-your-business\/apply-licenses-permits#section-header-2\">state licenses<\/a> you\u2019re required to have, too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>4) Line up legal support<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Get yourself a decent lawyer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Different kinds of cases call for specialized\nattorneys. But before there\u2019s even a hint of a problem you want access to a\ncommercial lawyer who\u2019s familiar with your industry. And who\u2019s there for you to\nconsult on a day-to-day basis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They\u2019ll be able to review contracts, advise you on things like intellectual property rights and HR issues. They\u2019ll also be your first line of defense if your firm looks like it\u2019s landed in legal hot water. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>5) Get\nit in writing<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>As well as contracts with all investors, you want\nto make sure you\u2019ve got contracts with every single employee and independent\ncontractor. Don\u2019t be tempted to use a template you pulled off the internet. Get\nyour lawyer to draft them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s also worth having a handbook giving clear\nguidelines for employees on company policies, rules and behaviour in the\nworkplace, and regarding social media. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Make sure all employee complaints and disciplinary problems are in writing and document the steps you took to address these. That way you\u2019ll have a proper record if there\u2019s a problem later on. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>6) Cover up<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Make sure you\u2019ve got the right insurance, so your\nfirm\u2019s finances are protected, too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019ll be some coverage investors and clients\ninsist you have. And some you\u2019re required to have by law. But it\u2019s worth checking\nif you need other policies, too, like patent infringement or automobile\nliability insurance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And if you run your business from home, your home insurance policy may not be adequate. You\u2019ll most likely need business owner\u2019s coverage to cover theft, third party injury and product liability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s a quick run-down of some of the products\navailable:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"\/general-liability-insurance\">General liability insurance<\/a> is designed to protect your business from claims of physical damage to property or people. If you visit clients, or they come to you, this policy\u2019s a must. It also protects you from personal injury claims, like someone accusing you of publicly bad-mouthing them. Your policy can cover medical expenses, legal fees and compensation, if you\u2019re liable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insurancebee.com\/professional-liability-insurance\">Professional liability insurance, or errors and omissions<\/a> protects you from claims you\u2019ve made a mistake or left something out. It\u2019s coverage you want if you offer a professional service or advise clients. Because if you do, you can be sued for professional negligence. If that happens, your insurance can hire you an attorney, cover your legal defense costs and pay damages, too, if you\u2019re liable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insurancebee.com\/workers-compensation-insurance\">Workers\u2019 compensation insurance<\/a> is required by most states even if you only have one employee. But as the cost of workplace injuries can be crippling to a small business, it\u2019s well worth having anyway. It can cover medical expenses, legal costs, loss of earnings, and damages. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insurancebee.com\/directors-and-officers-insurance\">Directors\u2019 and officers\u2019 insurance<\/a> protects your personal assets. Because as a company director, you can be sued <em>personally<\/em> if someone \u2013 a client, employee, investor, even a competitor &#8211; thinks you\u2019ve done something wrong. Like mismanaged funds, or treated staff unfairly. And as spouses can be named in suits, the policy can protect their assets, too. By taking care of legal costs and compensation, if you\u2019re found at fault. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insurancebee.com\/cyber-liability-insurance\">Cyber liability insurance<\/a> is the coverage you need to survive a cyber attack. It takes care of your recovery expenses, including: your legal costs and damages if you end up facing a class action suit for losing client data; regulatory fines and penalty payments; and repairing your damaged reputation, as well as your website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How much is enough?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>As for how much cover you need it\u2019s always safer to over-estimate. Imagine the worst-case scenario and go for as much as you can afford. It\u2019s worth it. Having the right insurance keeps you in business when things go wrong. And safeguards your assets. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019d like to know more check out <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insurancebee.com\/\">InsuranceBee\u2019s\nsmall business insurance<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Or if you need some help, call us at 978.344.4215. We\u2019ll find a package to fit your firm\u2019s exact needs. <br> <br> <br> <em>Image used under license from Shutterstock.<\/em><br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Being sued ranks high on the worry list for small business owners. Which is not surprising, really.&nbsp; With over 100 million cases being filed annually in US state courts, the threat of a lawsuit\u2019s very real.&nbsp; And lawsuits don\u2019t come &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insurancebee.com\/blog\/would-your-small-business-survive-a-lawsuit\">Read more&#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[56],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1268","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-smb-advice"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\r\n<title>Small business lawsuits: would your company survive?<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Would your small business survive a lawsuit? 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