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Premises liability accidents are dangerous and unpleasant for both the victim and the owner of the premises. Therefore, businesses go to great lengths to keep their workplaces safe for both customers and employees.
However, accidents cannot always be avoided. When an accident happens, it is vital to know the necessary steps as a business owner. This article will expound on business liability and what you need to do when someone gets hurt.
Your Responsibility As a Business
Injuries caused by your products or negligence at your place of business can be damaging to the company. Therefore, it is vital to ensure you do your part in preventing accidents for people who visit your business premises. Below are the two main ways to minimize the damage at your workplace.
Maintain a Safe Environment
Maintaining a safe environment at your business premises involves precautions like:
- Doing repairs on time
- Regular safety inspections from qualified safety experts
- Proper safety gear and equipment for employees
- Warning signs in dangerous areas
- Cleaning messes as soon as they happen
Get Business Liability Insurance
You cannot avoid accidents entirely. For that reason, it is crucial to have insurance just in case an unexpected accident happens within your business’s premises. Business liability insurance is what you need to protect your business from various personal injury claims.
Do your research on the best general liability insurance companies and pick one depending on the terms that feel reasonable to you. Insurance lessens the impact in case of a disaster that could ruin your business.
What To Do When Someone Gets Hurt
There are various causes of injuries to employees or customers. These could be product spills, equipment malfunctions, a sheet of ice on the doorway, or even chemical spills. If somebody gets hurt within your premises, the following steps will help you deal with the situation appropriately.
Get Medical Attention Immediately
Even before any blame is placed, the first order of business in an accident is medical attention. As the business owner, you should make sure that any person who gets injured at your workplace gets medical help as soon as possible. Doing that could save a life or prevent more damage to the victim.
Inspect the Accident Area
Once the injured person gets medical help, you can start investigating the accident to know what happened. Doing so will help you determine the next step. Accidents are not always blamed on the business. Sometimes the accident was not the company’s fault, in which case they would have no liability.
Follow Company Protocol
Different companies have different processes of dealing with injuries. If it’s an employee, you probably have a form that the employee fills out. In a customer’s case, the insurance company might be spearheading that.
Dealing With a Lawsuit
In some cases, the victims might want to sue your company for their injuries. If it is an employee, they could reject the workers’ compensation you offered and take you to court. A customer can also decide to do the same, in which case you need to follow the advice of a law firm like Agruss Law Firm and your insurer.
Conclusion
The best way to avoid dealing with claims is to keep your business place safe from unforeseen dangers. If that is not enough, do your best to handle the situation in an honorable and fair way to keep your business reputation intact. Even so, beware of people trying to extort your business.
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