Management
Personal Injury Claims: How Prepared is Your Business
Business owners have a great deal of responsibility when it comes to following guidelines, laws, and policies. Owners are responsible for the upkeep of their facilities to protect the health and safety of their workers and the general public. Failure to maintain a safe and decent environment most certainly puts businesses at risk for significant financial burdens and lawsuits.
Business owners have a great deal of responsibility when it comes to following guidelines, laws, and policies. Owners are responsible for the upkeep of their facilities to protect the health and safety of their workers and the general public. Failure to maintain a safe and decent environment most certainly puts businesses at risk for significant financial burdens and lawsuits. While you cannot prevent all accidents from occurring, there are things that business owners can do to prevent the possibility of litigations and large payouts to potential victims:
- Learn the Guidelines
- Get Insurance Coverage
- Label dangerous areas
- Provide safety training and guides for staff
Learning the Local Guidelines
There are local laws and regulations in place for businesses that must be complied with to prevent lawsuits or fines. To start, business owners should check to ensure that their building is in compliance with the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) guidelines within your state. Such guidelines are set into place as a method for preventing workplace accidents for employees and could also help in securing your business facilities for customers as well.
Get Insurance Coverage
In the event that an accident does happen at your business facility, having insurance coverage can help to ease the financial burden. Most state governments require that businesses obtain some form of liability insurance as well as workmen’s comp insurance to cover medical expenses and other expenses that are accrued by an employee or customer as a result of an accident. It is easy to obtain coverage and can save your business a lot of money in the long run.
Label Dangerous Areas
Whether you run a construction site or an office building, potential hazards are everywhere. In order to stay ahead of the game, it is ideal to label all of these areas. Attorneys from NewlinLaw.com suggest that some of the top causes of slip and fall accidents are the direct result of liquid substances. Labeling these areas clearly can help to prevent both staff and customers from getting injured. Also, keeping signs for places where there’s a leak, wet floor, or excessive damages on the property will help to decrease the likelihood of accidents. For the most complete assessment of the safety in your workplace, hiring a safety inspector might be advised. An inspector can provide you with the best recommendations on how to secure your building.
Provide Safety Training and Guides for Staff
As stated above, you’re responsible for the health and safety of your staff. Education and open lines of communication can most certainly make a difference in keeping them safe. Some things you might consider to better inform your staff is to provide them with safety training, scheduling fire drills, and even providing them with guides such as a health and safety handbook. Having your staff sign off on obtained training and guides is also beneficial in the event that an accident occurs in the future. Repeating trainings as regulations change or even on an annual basis is also another way to ensure that your employees are up to date on safety in the workplace on the regular basis
Defending Your Business Against a Claim
It is beneficial for employers to also secure a personal injury attorney. Personal injury lawyers are aware of the laws within your state and can help you in negotiating a settlement, or even fighting your case if you feel that you’ve upheld your responsibilities as a business owner.
When hiring a personal injury attorney be sure that you’ve done your due diligence to check out their licensing and certifications, customer rapport, and experience in defending businesses in your industry. You will want to ensure that you’ve hired an attorney that has your company’s best interest in mind.
Though these tips above are ideal for preventing injuries, there is always still a chance that someone could file a claim against your business. Completing the above mentioned tips may also be the ticket to defending your business in the court of law. In any event, the above advice and securing a legal professional right away will certainly help to protect your company’s assets and reputation.
