Frivolous lawsuits are every person's worst nightmare. Society has become increasingly more litigious, with 15 million civil cases filed in the U.S. each year alone.* Common cases...

[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_column_text] Confucius, once said, “Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves.” In a better world, such words of wisdom would cause at very least a moment of reflection, but alas today’s modern society abounds with stories of revenge and retaliation gone awry. When it comes to retaliation in the workplace, it’s important for employers and managers to remember that prevention is much preferred to the bitter pill of litigation. That’s because, historically speaking, it’s typically the company that ends up taking the blame in retaliation suits. In fact, recent studies indicate that an employee who files a retaliation lawsuit is more likely to prevail at trial and recover significant damages than an employee filing a typical discrimination claim. What makes retaliation claims so much different? One theory would indicate that jurors, while slow to believe that managers are racist or sexist, are much more likely to find those same individuals capable of seeking revenge on someone looking to hurt the company. It’s simply human nature.
Have you ever been summoned for jury duty?  Well, let me tell you a little about it.  You HAVE to go; no if, and, or buts about it. You are sometimes allowed to reschedule, but you’ve still got to do your time.  Missing work, school, birthdays, weddings, or whatever it may be is inconvenient to say the least.  What if the case continues on for weeks or even months?  Now can you imagine if you weren’t on the jury, but were the defendant?!  It can happen easier than one might think, especially for all you professionals out there. Thinking that you’re completely protected from lawsuits is a rather naïve assumption, especially nowadays.  Recent trends in court decisions have been holding HR practitioners, supervisors, business owners, and other decision-makers personally liable for their actions under several employment laws.
[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_column_text] It’s an unfortunate fact that the world in which we live is getting a little litigious. Lawsuits these days can pop up out of anywhere, and they aren’t always legitimate. Lawsuits are especially present when your net worth gets higher. Sometimes, personal lawsuits can seek up to two-to-five million dollars, and for people who live or work in lawsuit-heavy industries (i.e. nonprofit organizations, condominium rentals, etc.), it might be a good idea to evaluate where your regular home policies might fall short, and where a personal liability policy might be a good idea. A friend of mine works with kids, coaching sports at a local school. While most of us question her sanity, we also admire how much good she does in the lives of those girls. She told me a story, though, that made me realize how sticky a situation working with kids can be.
No one wants to get into trouble. Nobody wakes up and thinks, “Boy. Today, I think I’d like to test the limits of my legal and insurance coverage. Honey? Get the 4-wheelers out! We’re going to test them out on that golf course.” Trouble is a thing that pops up when least expected. The trick to taking care of trouble is making sure that as many of these little gaps as possible are not problem areas. Without being alarmists, it can be surprising the things that American adults can be found personally liable for. A large lawsuit can boil down to something simple like: