Most people know that you can file a personal injury lawsuit against a person or business who caused you harm due to negligence. What happens if you are in an accident with a cop who ran a red light or what if you injure yourself inside a government building? In these two examples, the liable entity may be your city government.
Can you sue the city or county?
Filing a Claim Against the City
You can file a claim against the city or county. Before you file the lawsuit, you would file a Notice of Claim. This would tell the government that you are planning to file the lawsuit. You need to make sure that you do this before the statute of limitations is up. This varies from state to state but if you do not file a Notice of Claim in time, you could lose your claim.
In some cases, the city will settle your case as soon as you file the Notice of Claim. It helps to have a lawyer to help advocate for you if the city or county wants to settle. In some instances, it is better to take the settlement because a lawsuit can take time and money.
How to Prove a Claim Against the City
You may be sure that the city’s negligence caused your injury but you still must prove it. The more evidence that you have, the better. You will want to show exactly how the city or county caused your injury and how it has affected you. The more severe the injuries, the more likely you are to have increased medical costs.
In addition to having evidence of the injury and how it was caused by the city or county, you need to watch out for a few other details. One, you need to make sure that you were not breaking rules yourself. For instance, if you were trespassing on city property, your case may be thrown out.
To go up against a city or county can make a case complex. If you don’t have representation, you could wind up settling for less than you deserve. An attorney can also ensure that you file all of the correct paperwork on time to avoid your claim being thrown out.