If
you have had an accident on a commercial or industrial property then
this can leave you feeling angry and hard done by. If the accident
wasn’t your fault and if it was due to the negligence of the site
owners, then you likely feel that it is only just that you should get
compensation and not have to pay for the damages yourself.
However
at the same time not every injury away from home does call for accident
lawyers, and there are some situations where you are better off not
trying to sue. Just because you can doesn’t necessarily mean you should,
and there are many important factors to consider here when deciding how
to proceed – as well as several alternative routes that you can go
down. If you are unsure about whether you should sue, then you should
call an accident lawyers to discuss the possibility in person. This is
very important – know that the company owners will likely have their own
law firm behind them, and if you it is in your best interest to also
have legal representation.
The first thing that a law firm will
ascertain is whether or not you have a case. One simple reason that it
may not be a good idea for you to sue could just be that you don’t have a
good case and would possibly lose. Going through court and paying legal
costs is a very stressful and expensive ordeal and success is never
truly guaranteed.
Next
you need to consider if there are alternative routes you can go down.
Going to court is something that can be very damaging to both your image
and the image of the company. You will come out of it looking like
‘someone who sues’ while the company you are taking to court will of
course look negligent. It’s worth contacting a law firm and asking if
there is potentially any other way that you can proceed – they may for
instance be able to help you compose a letter that discusses an out of
court settlement. This can be much easier and it can help to ensure that
you get an outcome that suits everyone.
Failing this then you
might want to consider whether or not you believe suing is the correct
ethical thing in these circumstances. There are some situations where
you believe it is only right that you should sue. For instance if you
are unable to work as a result of your injury, and if the accident was
genuinely due to the company’s lack of consideration, then you may feel
the need for compensation. Apart from anything else, you may feel that
taking a company to court can ensure that the same thing doesn’t happen
to anyone else and in that respect you could consider it almost a
responsibility. However, if the accident has caused you no real harm,
and if the organization you know was well meaning – you may feel this
was a genuine mistake – then you may reconsider taking them to court.