There are few things as surprising as discovering fraud. It can take various forms, ranging from misrepresentations to theft, and it can be financially and reputational damaging to you or your company. Many people believe that the criminal justice system will take care of their problems. Criminal and civil litigation, on the other hand, are distinct processes, with the criminal court system geared toward punishing the offender rather than compensating you financially. You must instead pursue justice through civil litigation.
Attorneys in Northern Virginia will investigate your case and file a lawsuit if necessary. With our assistance, you can recover the funds you’ve lost and repair your reputation. This procedure will also hold the other party accountable, thereby safeguarding others from their deception. Of course, PJI Law’s attorneys can assist you if you are being unfairly targeted by a fraud claim.
Proving Fraud
In most successful fraud cases, there are four key components. Your Northern Virginia fraud lawyer will present evidence to support or refute the following claims:
- The defendant made a materially false representation of a current fact.
- The misinformation was done on purpose.
- The plaintiff made a reasonable decision based on the false information and took action as a result of it.
- The plaintiff was harmed as a result of the deception.
What Mean By Reasonable Reliance?
A successful fraud claim usually requires proving reasonable reliance. This indicates that you accepted the message as true and acted on it. Your belief must be reasonable, which means that even if you were fairly vigilant, you would not be able to uncover the deception.
You probably don’t have a fraud claim if someone misrepresents the facts but you don’t trust the information. This is a basic untruth for which there is no legal recourse. A civil fraud suit will not be successful if someone forges an invoice to try to steal money, but you catch the deception and refuse to pay. Naturally, if the individual raises the claim and continues to try to collect the money, he or she will be breaking the law, and you will be able to take legal action against them. Because this is such a delicate situation, it’s best to seek legal advice from a Northern Virginia fraud lawyer.
Establishing Intent
In Virginia, you must prove intent in a fraud case. For personal advantage, the person must knowingly distort the facts. There was no actual fraud perpetrated if the misstatement was unintentional. However, this does not exclude you from pursuing legal action. You could file a lawsuit for negligent misrepresentation in this situation. Even if the information was not intentionally deceptive, the person is nonetheless legally accountable.
To ascertain if the person misrepresented the facts with intent, a thorough investigation is required. To decide if you have a fraud case, your Northern Virginia fraud lawyer will examine all of the evidence. If you don’t, your lawyer will discuss your alternative legal choices with you.
