how to hire a lawyer to sue local county

What kind of lawyer do I need to sue a city?

What Kind of Lawyer Do I Need to Sue a City? If you want to sue a government entity after an accident, you'll probably need a personal injury lawyer. Please answer a few questions to help us match you with attorneys in your area.

Can you sue the state or local government?

Keep in mind that to sue state or local government, you often must overcome a legal presumption that the government is immune to certain types of lawsuits. If the government has claimed immunity as a defense, you'll need to look up the particular law mentioned so you can figure out how to defeat that claim.

How do I sue the city of New York?

If you want to sue the city, you'll need a plaintiff's civil injury (personal injury) lawyer. You don’t need to hire a special kind of lawyer in order to bring a legal claim against the city - you're looking for a plaintiff's injury (personal injury) lawyer.

How do I sue a lawyer for negligence?

To sue lawyer for negligence, you need to be able to prove the attorney didn't use the proper care in your case and missed a deadline, filed the wrong papers, didn't comply with court orders, or made other errors that were not intentional but were sloppy.

Can I sue a city or county?

Yes, it's possible to sue a city or county when their negligence caused your injury. For example, if you were in a car accident because a cop ran a...

What are the steps for suing a city?

To sue a city, first you must file a "Notice of Claim" with the government so they know you're planning to file a claim. Then you should contact a...

What do I need to prove in order for my claim to be successful?

For a successful claim against a city or county, you'll need to prove the following: the city acted negligently, that negligence caused your injury...

How much can you sue for administrative denial?

In some states, the maximum amount of damages for which you can sue in small claims court is relatively high – as much as $10,000 or $20,000.

How to file a claim against the local government?

Explain to the agent with whom you speak that you want to file a claim against the local government.

How long do you have to file a lawsuit against a government agency?

At this point, you have a limited period of time, typically six months or so, to file a lawsuit against the agency. When you receive a denial notice or other letter telling you that you have the right to file a lawsuit, keep the original and make copies.

How long do you have to file a claim against a state?

However, you may have a shorter period of time to file a claim against a state or local government agency. In some areas, you must file your claim with the agency within 30 days of the date you were injured. For this reason, it's important that you contact the agency as soon as possible after the incident so you can preserve your right to sue ...

What happens if you miss the deadline for a claim?

If you miss the deadline – either because you were unable to file a claim or because you didn't realize a government entity was possibly responsible until some time after the incident – you still may be able to file a claim, provided you can show a good reason for the delay.

How long do you have to file a personal injury claim?

There are deadlines, called statutes of limitations, that apply to all personal injury lawsuits, and typically give you between one and six years to file a lawsuit after your injury happens. However, you may have a shorter period ...

What is the government's response to a lawsuit?

Often the government's response to your lawsuit will be to file an answer in which it denies most, if not all, of your allegations. This means you must prove each of those things at the hearing of your case. The government's answer also may include various defenses, or a motion to dismiss your lawsuit.

Why would a person file a claim against the driver?

For example, in a car accident the person would file a claim against the driver because they were going over the speed limit. But there may be some confusion of what your legal options are after you’ve been injured because of your city’s or county’s negligence. You could have gotten in a car accident because a cop didn’t signal a turn ...

How to take the best course of action?

The best way to ensure you’re taking the best course of action is to contact a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible . They’ll review your case and help you take the next steps that are in your best interests. If you’ve been injured because of negligence on behalf of your city or county, you want experienced legal aid at your side. ...

What does it mean when you have a serious injury?

Severe injuries could mean multiple hospital trips, undergoing various tests, having to take medication, missing work, and future medical costs for your recovery. There are a few classifications that you have to watch out for if you want your claim to be valid.

Do you have to file a notice of claim before suing a city?

Before suing a city or county, you have to file a “Notice of Claim” with the government so they know you’re planning on filing a claim. Your personal injury lawyer can help you with this. You also need to operate within the statute of limitations, which can vary depending on your state.

Can a notice of claim be settled?

Failing to adhere to the statute and the notice of claim could jeopardize your case. There’s a chance that after receiving your notice of claim, the city will decide to settle your case. To some, this may be a better option than a lawsuit which can take time and money.

What to do when you hire an attorney?

When you hire an attorney, you do so with trust and confidence. Most attorneys are upstanding and do a good job for their clients. Unfortunately, there are also some bad eggs out there. If your attorney has done something wrong, you may want to consider suing a lawyer for malpractice.

How to win a lawsuit against an attorney for malpractice?

To win when you sue an attorney for malpractice, you need to show that: The attorney was supposed to do something. He or she didn't do it (or did it wrong) This resulted in a financial loss to you (losing the case or losing money)

What happens if an attorney violates the law?

If the attorney violated proper ethics, you can file a grievance with the ethics committee of the state bar association, which ensures all attorneys are in good standing to renew their licenses. The attorney could be disbarred or directed to pay you compensation.

What is a breach of contract?

Breach of contract. This occurs when an attorney fails to do something he or she agreed to in your contract, such as filing your deed or patent. If the lawyer promised to do something he or she was contractually obligated to do and didn't do it, you have grounds for breach of contract.

Can an attorney be disbarred?

The attorney could be disbarred or directed to pay you compensation. If you are disputing a fee with your lawyer, the state also likely has a fee dispute committee that can help you obtain an out-of-court resolution. You can hire another attorney to complete or fix your case and obtain the outcome you need.

Can you sue a lawyer for negligence?

To sue lawyer for negligence, you need to be able to prove the attorney didn't use the proper care in your case and missed a deadline, filed the wrong papers, didn't comply with court orders, or made other errors that were not intentional but were sloppy.

Does losing a case mean you committed malpractice?

It's important to understand that just because you lost your case, it does not mean your attorney committed malpractice. In every case, one side will win and one will lose, despite the skill and experience of the lawyers on each side.

1 attorney answer

Finding the right attorney depends upon the type of claim that you are pursuing. If it is a personal injury, then go for a personal injury attorney. If it deals with special needs children and a school not following an education plan, then find an attorney that deals in that type of claim. Just go by the practice area that the attorney advertises.

Sean Bartlett Sandison

Finding the right attorney depends upon the type of claim that you are pursuing. If it is a personal injury, then go for a personal injury attorney. If it deals with special needs children and a school not following an education plan, then find an attorney that deals in that type of claim. Just go by the practice area that the attorney advertises.

How long do you have to file a lawsuit against a state?

Some jurisdictions require that you file a claim within 30 days of your injury. Other states require a claim within 60, 90, or 120 days after your injury. Many states have one time limit for claims against a city, town, county, ...

How long do you have to wait to file a lawsuit?

This period is typically between 30 and 120 days. The court will dismiss a lawsuit that is filed before the Notice of Claim period expires.

What happens if you don't follow the notice of claim guidelines?

Instead, you need to provide a "Notice of Claim" to the government. If you do not follow notice of claim guidelines, your lawsuit will be dismissed by the court. You must ensure that the Notice of Claim complies with laws of the applicable jurisdiction. Format of the Notice of Claim.

Who can be held responsible for a personal injury?

A city, town, county, or state government can be held responsible when it causes injuries, just as any normal person or business can be held liable. However, unlike normal personal injury lawsuits, there are rigid steps to follow and deadlines to meet for an injury claim against the government. Failure to follow these steps or meet ...

Who is the notice of claim addressed to?

Format of the Notice of Claim. In most jurisdictions, the Notice of Claim must be addressed to each person or entity that caused your injuries. The Notice of Claim is not filed with the court, but must be mailed (often by certified mail) to each government employee or entity.

Why is it harder to sue a city than to sue an individual?

However, regardless of where you live, one thing is almost certain: it will be harder to sue the city than it would be to sue an individual or private organization, because governments have special legal protections and additional resources that aren’t available to private parties.

How to settle a lawsuit for less than the amount of damages?

Negotiate with you to try and settle your case for less than the full amount of damages you’ve specified. Deny the claim outright. There’s very little chance the city will simply accept your claim and pay you the full amount of damages. Most often, the city will try to deny the claim or negotiate the amount down.

What is suing an individual?

Suing an individual or business is something we hear of all the time in the United States. Less common is the suing of a city, state, or other municipality. Can a person even do that?

What to do if you can't resolve a claim?

If you can’t resolve the claim with the city, you can file a lawsuit against the city for negligence. As with any lawsuit, you’ll need to prove the city was negligent and that the negligence directly caused or contributed to your injuries and damages. You’ll also need to consider whether the at-fault party was a government organization as ...

What are some examples of lawsuits against a city?

Examples of situations that could give rise to a lawsuit against a city include: Being hit by a government vehicle (police car, public works vehicle, parks and rec truck, city bus, construction vehicle, public school bus, etc.) Slipping and falling due to hazardous conditions in a government building, such as City Hall or the Secretary ...

How to file a claim against a city?

First, you’ll generally file a claim with the city government, at which point you’ll be directed to either the city attorney’s office or the risk management division. Once the city receives your claim, it has three options: Accept the claim and pay your damages. Negotiate with you to try and settle your case for less than the full amount ...

How long does it take to file a personal injury claim in North Carolina?

Make sure to check the statute of limitations for personal injury and negligence claims in your state. In North Carolina, claims must be filed within three years for a personal injury case and within two years for wrongful death.