How a Civil Trial Can Impact Your Life if You’re Named as a Defendant

 
Someone can file a civil lawsuit against you for virtually any reason. For instance, maybe you’re there because you smoked marijuana and drove. That means you drove under the influence. If you hit another driver’s vehicle, that’s a potentially serious civil matter.

 
Washington State’s rising drugged driving crash rates indicate things like this happen all too often in modern times. However, someone might bring a civil lawsuit against you for many other reasons. They may do so because they injured themselves when they visited your home. If they feel you knew about an unsafe situation there and didn’t take action to fix the problem, they might hold you legally liable.

 
They may sue you if you own a dog that gets loose and bites them. Perhaps they will sue you if they claim you sexually assaulted them and they experienced emotional trauma after the event.

 

Your Spouse or Partner Might Not Look at You the Same

In some situations where a person names you as the defendant in a civil lawsuit, you might lose the respect that a spouse or partner had for you. Maybe you did something that your current partner or spouse sees as egregious.

For instance, if an ex says you sexually assaulted them, your current partner might say they don’t feel like they know you anymore. They may distance themselves because they no longer trust you.

If someone accuses you of something in a civil case, that doesn’t necessarily mean you did what they claim. Maybe they’re making misleading statements to get back to you for some perceived slight.

 
However, a spouse or partner might not believe you if you say you didn’t do it. Even if you can beat the charges in court, their perception of you might change permanently.

Your Neighbors Might No Longer Respect You

You might have neighbors who you like and with whom you spend time. Maybe you have barbecues and invite people over from up and down your street. Perhaps you go over to someone else’s house on your block who has a big TV. You watch baseball together in the summer or football in the autumn.

 
If they hear about the accusations someone made against you, they might start giving you the cold shoulder. Much like your spouse or partner, they may think you did it, even if you protest your innocence. Those close to you will have a chance to stand by you or turn against you, and you will probably see pretty quickly who judges you before all the facts come to light.

Your Friends May Not Come Around Anymore

This applies if you have a group of friends with whom you spend time as well. Perhaps you have some buddies from high school or college who still come around on the weekends. You might play video games or watch movies together. Maybe you go bowling or play golf sometimes.

 
If they hear about the accusations against you, they might not come around as much anymore. They may cut off contact entirely. They might break off the ties they have with you on social media. They may not return your phone calls or text messages anymore. In extreme cases, they may even block your phone number.

Your Church or Another Entity to Which You Belong Might Ostracize You

If you belong to a church or some other religious organization, they might ban you from the premises if the person accusing you says you did something heinous. The person in charge might say you’re no longer welcome there.

You would hope a religious organization would not rush to judgment, but maybe they succumb to public pressure. If some highly placed individuals who donate a lot of money to that religious entity say they don’t want you around anymore, that could mean the congregation will turn its back on you.

You May Face Professional Ramifications as Well

Your accuser might also cause havoc in your professional life. If word gets out that they’re accusing you of something awful, your boss may fire you. They might not say they’re doing it for that reason to avoid legal blowback, but they may lay you off for some trivial reason.

 
If so, you’ll know why they did it, even if you can’t necessarily prove it. Perhaps you’ll need to look for some other job within your profession, but you might find that difficult.

 
If you live and work within a relatively small community, word of your civil trial might get around. When you apply to other jobs, you may find that nobody else wants to hire you, even if you’re skilled at what you do and have plenty of qualifications.

You Might Find That Your Community Supports You

All of these constitute worst-case scenarios. However, you might find that none of this happens. Maybe the people around you rally together and boost you up during these most difficult times. Perhaps they tell you that they believe you’re innocent, and they know you would never do the kind of thing of which the plaintiff accused you.

If so, you might feel very glad about that. You’ll realize that even in this dark hour, you have a group of individuals around you who won’t abandon you when the going gets tough. Knowing you have that support system can help you immeasurably as you try to figure out the best path forward.