Can Process Serving be Dangerous?

Serving process can be a very flexible, laid-back job that is great for people who don’t want to be tied down to a desk all day. However, you may have heard that process servers have a dangerous job. These are some of the biggest threats to process servers and how they can overcome them with proper preparation:

Violent or Aggressive Defendants

When people think of the dangers of process service, violent defendants are typically what comes to mind. Process servers have been assaulted and even killed by hostile defendants who are upset about the nature of the case served against them. 

Knowing the defendant’s criminal history and pending charges is crucial to approaching potentially dangerous defendants safely. Never attempt to serve a defendant with a violent history while they are alone. Service will be much safer in a public place.

Unfamiliar Locations

Another well-known danger of the serving process is having to frequent unfamiliar places in order to find defendants. Some locations may have known criminal activity, so researching locations beforehand is important to choose the best, safest place to attempt service.

No Serve, No Fee Structures

Some states have implemented No Serve, No Fee structures that require the process server to successfully serve the paperwork to get paid, no matter what. This pushes servers to complete service in riskier situations in order to not lose income. Process server advocates have long denounced the No Serve, No Fee structure as inherently dangerous.

Lack of Labor Protections

Since process servers are typically categorized as contractors and not employees, they are not afforded many workforce protections, such as protection from harassment. Process servers who experience issues on the job must deal with them through the court system, which is often slow and inefficient. This makes it difficult to handle some issues where the process servers are in physical danger, but still, need to work in order to make a living.

At Accurate Serve® in Daytona Beach, our process servers are trained in best safety practices while serving process. We take the safety of our servers very seriously and provide all of the support required when any safety issues arise. If you need quality service of process in Volusia County, call (386) 569-8475 or submit a request for service online. If you are outside the Daytona Beach area, visit https://www.theaccurateservefranchise.com/ to find the office closest to you.