The effects of a personal injury claim on a business can be devastating to all concerned. In addition to the employees and customers, it affects the organization in several ways. For instance, it can erode the firm’s reputation and goodwill.
“When an employee or customer files a personal injury claim against your company, it will strain your firm’s finances. You must engage an attorney, treat the injured person, repair damaged property, and pay adequate compensation. This can ultimately affect the smooth operation of the business,” says personal injury attorney Derek Layser of Friedman Schuman Layser.
This piece discusses how you can safeguard your organization from personal injury claims:
Table of Contents
Engage a Business and Commercial Litigation Lawyer
One of the attributes of an established business is having its attorney. As a business, starting to look for a lawyer when you have a case is awkward. Your lawyer could have advised you against such an issue if you were proactive.
A business and commercial litigation attorney can guide you through the legal requirements during the hiring phase. They will also check all documents before signing contracts to ensure you are not ignorantly short changing yourself.
Also, the personal injury sector constantly evolves, and an ideal attorney stays on top of these developments. They understand emerging trends and how they affect personal injury laws. Thus, you can always count on them for workplace safety and other legal matters.
They will advise you on how to avoid trouble and review your company policies to align them with regulatory expectations.
Insure Your Enterprise to Protect It Against Liabilities
Apart from a damaged reputation, your business will bear heavy fines when an injured victim files a personal injury lawsuit against it. That is why you should act proactively by insuring your company before any problem arises. Your insurance should cover all possible liabilities to cover any financial obligation.
General liability insurance can suffice for your business when you have libel, property damage, and negligence claims. It covers legal fees, medical bills, and other related costs. Insuring your business is like offering it a double layer of protection.
Pre-Empt Workplace Mishaps and Act Proactively
Since you cannot forecast workplace accidents, it is wise to prepare ahead. The best way to avoid grasping the consequences of workplace injury is by taking pre-emptive measures against the risks. When you proactively deal with the symptoms, you have quashed the chances of the actual incident happening.
Identify your unique vulnerabilities and deal with them appropriately. When you spot and address your safety concerns, there will be no need for personal injury claims. People can only institute claims against you when they discover you are negligent or reckless about their safety.
You can have regular checks and maintenance to ensure everything within your organization works appropriately. Similarly, inspect and repair vehicles to avoid accidents. You don’t want your employees to cause you problems on the road.
Use an Employee Safety Program
Enlighten your workers on how best to react to emergencies and mishaps. You will avoid lawsuits when they know how to deal with issues before escalation. However, this initiative will only achieve the intended result if you initiate measures to prevent accidents on the premises.
Your workers should explicitly understand safety practices, mainly if you operate in a firm that deals with heavy machinery and hazardous substances. Your workers must dress appropriately while at work. There must be severe punishment for anyone who does not wear safety equipment during work hours.
Furthermore, carry out drills to prepare them for emergencies like fire outbreaks, earthquakes, and tornadoes. You should also make the workplace comfortable for all to work and earn.
Know the Steps to Activate Immediately After an Accident
Sometimes, accidents will still happen at your workplace, no matter how hard you try. If this occurs and your workers sustain injuries, you should know the steps to activate.
Before contacting your attorney, you must urgently call for help to ensure the workers’ safety. To help your investigations, capture the incident in photos and videos. You must know the cause of the accident to stop it subsequently.
Speak with eyewitnesses and note down their contact details. You may need the employees to testify, so keeping their contact details will prevent any mix-ups.
Concluding Remarks
Following these tips will help you avoid or reduce personal injury claims. Your company cannot consistently be a subject of litigation and operate profitably. Thus, you must block all avenues that can make you vulnerable.
However, you can never be too prepared. Sometimes, despite taking all pre-emptive steps, accidents still occur. In this situation, get a personal injury attorney to handle the case.
