It is essential to take steps to protect your business from a personal injury lawsuit in Missouri. Premises liability lawsuits are some of the most common types of injury claims businesses face.
Slips, trips, and falls can cause severe injuries. The property owner, business, and other parties in control of the property could be liable for the damages caused by a slip, trip, or fall. Depending on the severity of the injuries, the damages for a personal injury claim could total hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The good news is that a business can take proactive steps to reduce the risk of injuries on their property. Maintenance, training, and preparation are the keys to preventing personal injury lawsuits against your business. Consider contacting a law firm in Kansas City for more information on how to protect your business from an injury lawsuit in Missouri.
5 Steps to Protect Your Business From a Missouri Personal Injury Lawsuit
Fortunately, you can take steps to reduce the risk of injuries on your property. With planning and preparation, you can protect people who enter your property from risks to reduce accidents and injuries that could lead to a personal injury lawsuit in Kansas City, MO.
1. Check Your Premises
Clutter, spills, broken flooring, exposed cables/wires, and other obstacles become slip, trip, and fall hazards. Keep areas clean from debris and the premises in good repair. Routinely expect the property for hazards and make repairs promptly.
If you cannot repair a hazard promptly, place warning signs around the area immediately. When necessary, have an employee remain at the hazard to safely direct people around the location.
2. Be Prepared for Anything
Even with due diligence, dangerous situations can arise. Therefore, train employees about what to do if something happens that could endanger people.
Have safety procedures and policies in place they need to follow, such as placing warning signs and calling for emergency services when necessary. There should be a plan for correcting a dangerous situation or preventing people from encountering the situation.
3. Train Employees on How to Avoid Accidents in Missouri
Workplace safety training is crucial to avoid workplace accidents. Safety training can reduce the risk of slips and falls, electrical accidents, and exposure to hazardous substances. Employees should receive training on what to do in the event of workplace violence in Missouri.
4. Pay Attention to Building Maintenance
Dangerous conditions in Kansas City often arise from a lack of maintenance. In addition to monitoring for safety risks, routinely inspect the premises for general maintenance. General premises maintenance can help reduce the risk of a personal injury lawsuit.
Ensure that lights are in good working order to provide plenty of light throughout the building and outside areas. Check the parking lot for hazards that could cause falls or other injuries.
Stairways and walkways are also common sites of falls. Make repairs promptly if the stairs or railings are broken or damaged.
5. Install Cameras Throughout Your Business
Unfortunately, some injuries are fraudulent. A person may create a dangerous situation to cause a slip and fall accident, such as placing something on the floor to make it slippery. Having cameras throughout your business can capture fraudulent accidents so that you can fight personal injury claims in Missouri.
Purchase Sufficient Premises Liability Insurance
Insurance does not protect your business from a personal injury lawsuit in Kansas City, Missouri. However, it protects you from paying large claims out of pocket. Additionally, your insurance company investigates claims made against your company, so they may expose fraudulent claims.
Therefore, you want to purchase premises liability insurance coverage and general liability insurance coverage. Depending on the type of business you operate, you might want to consider purchasing other types of insurance coverage.
A personal injury lawsuit seeks compensation for damages. Economic damages include out-of-pocket expenses, medical expenses, property damage, and loss of income. Non-economic damages include emotional distress, disfigurement, impairments, suffering, and pain.
A person sustaining a permanent injury could also receive future damages. Future damages compensate the victim for diminished quality of life, reductions in earning capacity, and ongoing care.
Hire a Kansas City Personal Injury Lawyer
If your business receives a personal injury lawsuit, contact a Kansas City attorney immediately. Do not ignore the lawsuit or try to handle the matter on your own. The best way to protect your business in Missouri is to have sound legal advice as soon as possible.
An attorney advises you about the law and your potential liability for a personal injury claim. Your lawyer may also be able to negotiate a fair settlement to avoid lengthy and costly litigation for you and your company.