ByHow To Sue A Company Without a Lawyer
When you’ve been wronged in any way, an instinct is to want to defend yourself. Unfortunately, with the rise of Corporate America, consumers are experiencing mistakes at an increased level — leading to an increase in small claims suits against companies.
Many people choose to sue using an attorney, believing that their options are limited. Sometimes people spend more money on an attorney than they receive in their small claims suit. Below, find out what a small claims suit is, how you can represent yourself legally and how streamlines this process.
What are Small Claims Suits?
Small Claims Suits are lawsuits filed through Small Claims Court — a special division of the judicial system that intends to help parties who do not have personal attorneys resolve disputes quickly, in a budget-friendly manner.
Legal representation without a lawyer is simple — often, there is a misconception that your options are limited and that your rights are not exercised without a lawyer representing your case. This is false.
Confronting damages can be difficult, but understanding how to sue a company without a lawyer is simple. With the help of , an easily accessible web browser service and app, an automated lawsuit can be generated at your fingertips.
When Can You Sue a Company?
- Breaking an Agreement. If you had a written or oral contract with a company, you can sue for violation of that contract.
- Wrongful Termination. If you have been wrongfully terminated by your place of employment, you can sue your employer in small claims court for damages.
- Harassment. If you have experienced harassment at work or a particular company, you can sue the company for damages that relate to harassment.
- Damaging Personal Property. If your personal property has been damaged at work, you might be eligible for a settlement based on damages incurred.
- Owing Money. If a company owes you compensation, you could sue for loss of wages/failure to compensate.
- Suffering a Physical Injury. If you suffer a physical injury that has had lasting effects, you can sue for damages related to injuries.
- Suffering a Mental Injury. If you have experienced mental trauma, you might be eligible to sue for damages relating to mental trauma in small claims court.
- Infringement. If your copyrighted personal or intellectual property has been copied, you can sue for damages that relate to copyright infringement.
How to Prepare For a Lawsuit?
Although suing a company applies to a wide spectrum of cases, it is important to consider three details that directly relate to your specific case before proceeding with an independent suit.
- Do You Have A Valid Legal Case?
- Take a step back, reconsider the details of your case in an objective way.
- Establish a burden of proof — was a contract broken? Were you injured by this company? Did you lose money as a result of these injuries?
- Can You Sue This Company?
- Establish pre-filing requirements — you will have to prepare hearings and depositions.
- Figure out the best method of alternative dispute resolution — is small claims the approach you want?
- Have You Sent An Informal Final Demand?
- Send a letter that is typed, with clear contact information.
- State what happened, the attempts you’ve made for restitution, and what you are willing to accept; should they not comply, state that you will file a lawsuit in the letter.
| Are there any alternatives? | Before suing, you can consider other options:
Suing is typically a last resort when all of the above have been exhausted. |
| Who do you want to sue? | If you are successful, what will you collect from the company?
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| Do you have evidence? | Do you have sufficient records to validate your claim?
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| How much will this cost? | Cost is an important factor to consider in a lawsuit.
This is an important question to ask — often, small claims with legal representation are expensive and have a greater cost than the payoff of winning a lawsuit. |
What are the Steps to Follow?
Follow these three steps to sue a company:
- File a Verified Complaint. Draft a document explaining your claim, cause of action, and purpose to the company you are suing.
- File a Civil Summons. You may need to complete a civil summons form, a document that can be found on many state courts’ websites. The summons will need to be signed (issued) by a lawyer, court clerk, or judge. You might be entitled to ask the court clerk to issue your summons.
- Serve the Defendant. Legally, you might be required to follow specific procedures. Typically, most individuals hire a non-affiliated person to serve the other group their papers.
Unfortunately, self-guided small claims suits are often unsuccessful. As a solution to this issue, DoNotPay provides an automated lawsuit generator, with foolproof technology that makes suing concise. Explore the benefits of this innovative system below!
Sue A Company Through DoNotPay Today
DoNotPay is the perfect way to successfully file a small-claims suit that will be successful! All you need to do is:
- Log on to DoNotPay on any web browser and select “Sue Now”
- Enter the dollar amount that you are owed (this could be lost wages or even adequate compensation to cover injuries and medical bills)
- Select whether you’d like to receive a demand letter or court filing forms
- Describe your reason for filing the lawsuit, and submit any additional details (including your photo evidence)
That’s all! With DoNotPay, the process of suing any company is covered in an instant! DoNotPay will generate a demand letter or court filing forms for you, and a copy of your demand letter will even be mailed to the business you are suing!
Who Else Has DoNotPay Helped Sue?
DoNotPay has a track record of helping people sue big corporations! Our process is simple and easy which makes it suitable if you prefer hassle-free suing in small claims court. Some of the companies include:
- ATT
- Uber
- Verizon
- Insurance companies
- Airlines
- And so much more!