Having lawsuits brought against your local Maryville, IL small business can result in serious damage to your business’s reputation and crippling legal fees. A great way to avoid being the subject of a lawsuit is to take the steps in order to ensure that your business is compliant with current federal and state laws. As a professional business lawyer, our team is here to help you understand and minimize the risks of employment disputes.
Lawsuits Faced by Small Businesses
There are a variety of different types of lawsuits that could be filed against your company. Some suits are more common than others, this includes:
- Breach of Contract: Small businesses utilize business contacts, service contracts, non-compete agreements, employment agreements, independent contractor agreements, and nondisclosure agreements in order to formalize business deals. The language used in these contracts and agreements should be chosen with caution. When a business doesn’t follow through with the terms of the agreement, even if it is unintentional, it can become vulnerable to a breach of contract lawsuit. This is why it is important to have a lawyer help you draft and review the contracts in order to minimize the chances of being accused of breaching the contract.
- Intellectual Property Disputes: When copyrighted, patented, or trademarked products are used without the owner’s permission or improperly, a major intellectual property dispute can result. Something that is as simple as using an image from the internet as your company’s logo can result in you getting an accusation of intellectual property theft. Even if the graphic that accompanies this blog has been properly paid and licensed for,
- Wage Law Violations: The owners of small businesses should ensure that they are abiding by local, state, and federal wage laws. If you misclassify workers as independent contractors, this mistake could directly lead you to a lawsuit. As an employer, you should make sure that there is a written policy concerning wages, procedures for tracking breaks, time, meals, and overtime. You also should make sure that your managers fully understand these policies and are not making your employees work off of the clock.
- Discrimination Lawsuits: There are many state and federal laws including the Americans with Disabilities Act and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act which prohibits employers from discriminating against workers. This can be something those small businesses are vulnerable to when it comes to employment-related lawsuits. This is because many businesses do not have a human resource professional or only have a small number of resources that are dedicated to human resource concerns. To prevent this, it is important to have an employee handbook that explains rules, disciplinary procedures, and business practices. Doing this can help protect your businesses against allegations of harassment, discrimination, and wrongful termination.
Contact Our Team
If you are unsure if you may be susceptible to a lawsuit against your small business, contact our team at Action Law Center today! We are here to help all of our customers understand the legal actions that they may be facing.
