You know, people sometimes don’t appreciate how litigious our society really is. When things get a little ‘crunk’, people will find ways to sue. I know it sounds weird to come at you like that but the simple fact is (and I say it all the time), people can sue you for anything. The key is, can they win!
However, in my dealings with other attorneys and my experiences, there are a few things that people will find themselves in the middle of being sued and scratching their heads as to “how in the hell did that happen?”
Here are a few common sense that you should probably think about so that you don’t find yourself in a weird place of being sued:
1) Watch your pets! Some people think it’s cute to own animals. Don’t sleep. I have two big pack hounds that I love to death. However, it wasn’t until I was involved in a case where a homeowner was being sued because his dog attacked someone that I realized how important it is to keep your pets away from the general public. Be careful. If your pets cause harm to someone, you may be on the hook for the damages.
2) Remember, someone else’s kids are NOT yours! Most people know that a child can’t sue you but their parents can. Depending on the situation, adults have a somewhat higher duty of care when kids involved. Also, be careful about “attractive nuisances” (I can’t believe that I remember that from my first semester of law school). Kids have vivid imagination so if you have an old car on blocks in your yard and kids have the ability to play hide and go seek and get under the car and the car falls……..Do I need go any further?? Protect your yard and watch your property in the event that kids find their way into your property.
3) If kids do it, you may be on the hook. The same rule applies in some states. You can’t sue the kid for doing something but you may be able to sue the parents. So, if your child likes to break things or is a bully, recognize, you may be on the hook.
4) If you sign it, you may on the hook. I can’t believe the number of people who don’t appreciate the fact that they are entering into a contract when they sign things. For some odd reason, if it’s something minor, they think that they can just walk away. however, that contract is the bread and butter for a lawsuit so you can’t be surprised if a person or company puts the DOGS on you if you decide to not honor the contract.
It’s important that you take the time to be aware that people have a tendency to be ‘sue happy’. Don’t put yourself unnecessarily in harms way.
