How Companies Should Handle Work Injuries According to Legal Professionals

This will be a brief guide to workplace injuries and liability claims.

If you are a business owner in New York, read on to see what you can do to avoid liability claims. If you have been injured on someone else’s property, you can also learn how best to handle a premises liability suit, and what you should do immediately following the incident.

First, you should know which scenarios are the most common causes of liability claims, and how to avoid them. Then you should specifically consider slip and fall claims, as they are one of the most common and avoidable types of claims. Finally, you will learn about the process immediately following a slip and fall claim, from calling a lawyer to gathering evidence. 

Common Premises Liability injuries

Accidents on the sidewalk in front of a property and in the parking lot are common liability claims, so something a company can do to reduce risks of workplace injuries is to keep the sidewalk and car park well-maintained. This involves keeping the ground leveled and putting out grit on icy days. 

Cluttered stores are also a frequent cause of incidents, such as tripping, or falling objects. Keeping your storefront well-managed will reduce this risk. Finally, elevator and escalator incidents will result in liability claims, so keeping them serviced and regularly checking their safety is a great way to avoid big payouts.

One of the most common types of premises liability injury is the slip and fall claim. Whether you are a business owner looking to avoid slip and fall claims, or you have been injured in a workplace incident, you should know about slip and fall suits and what to do next.

Slip and Fall Injuries

A company’s owner may be found to be liable for a slip and fall injury if they caused an unsafe environment, for instance by spilling a liquid and not mopping it up, or leaving a trip hazard on the floor. If the business owner knew about the unsafe situation and did nothing to correct it, they can also be found liable. Finally, if the company owner claims not to have known about the hazard, but a court feels that a reasonable business owner should have been aware of the situation, they can be found liable as well.

If You Are Injured During A Slip and Fall 

Despite these situations being relatively easy to avoid, on the part of the business owner, it can and does occur regularly that people suffer slip and fall accidents on someone else’s premises. When you are injured on another person’s property, anywhere in the Big Apple territory, it is wise to contact a slip and fall attorney in New York immediately. Moreover, you should take photos of the injuries and the hazardous environment that lead to the incident taking place. These photographs will help you prove the business owner’s liability.

On top of the photographic evidence, you should keep and preserve the clothes and shoes you were wearing, as these can show that the fall was caused by the negligence of the property owner. Get contact information from any witnesses as well, as they will be valuable evidence in court that you were not at fault for the accident. 

Aside from evidence, there are some other crucial steps you should take. First, seek medical assistance immediately. Not only is this sensible simply because you need to ensure your health and well-being, but you will also need to show a record of the extent of medical damages and costs that resulted from the injury. 

You should also report the incident to the property owner immediately. If the accident occurred in someone’s home or in a commercial building, the storeowner or landlord should file a formal accident report and you should ask for a copy. Finally, be careful what you say after an accident. You do not want to get emotional and argue with the business owner, and you certainly don’t want to admit blame for the incident. You want to avoid saying anything that can be used against you when you are making your liability claim.

Good Luck

Whether you are a business owner or a person who has been injured on someone else’s property, hopefully, this guide has demonstrated to you how to avoid liability claims and injuries, and what the process is after one occurs. The most important takeaway for business owners is to do all you can to avoid hazardous situations on your property, as this is the best way to avoid liability suits. As a person who has been injured on someone else’s property due to their negligence, you should take from this the procedure that immediately follows the accident, including calling a lawyer and gathering evidence of negligence.