By Derrek Cummings on December 30th, 2016
Whether you run a business or you’re a homeowner, you have a legal duty to make sure your property is safe for visitors. There are several types of accidents that are addressed under premises liability law. For example, someone could slip on a wet floor or trip over something you leave in your yard and file a lawsuit to try and obtain compensation for their injury. Here are some tips on preventing premises liability cases to help you avoid potentially costly legal action.
Why Premises Liability Claims Occur
Anyone injured on your property could file a lawsuit under premises liability law in Pennsylvania. For example, they may allege you were negligent in providing adequate security, and they were attacked as a result.
Someone could also slip and fall due to any debris or poorly maintained flooring on your property. They could then claim your building was not maintained well or your structure was dangerous, and you failed to provide reasonably safe conditions.
Preventing Premises Liability Cases
If you run a business, you are expected to keep your property in a reasonably safe condition. While this is usually addressed, there are some instances where there can be questions as to whether a business owner has met this obligation. Being proactive when it comes to premises liability and property management can help you avoid substantial hassles down the road.
One of the first things you should do when it comes to preventing premises liability cases is to speak with your insurance company and have them send out an agent to look around. The agent can give you advice on potential problem areas, as well as ways to help ensure the safety of visitors as well as your employees.
You should also consider setting up periodic cleaning schedules so your employees can look for any potential issues, such as spilled drinks or debris on the floor. Keep a detailed record of these schedules so if someone does try to sue you, you can show that you took steps to clear all hazards on your property. In the eyes of the law, this could be evidence that you used “reasonable care” to keep any problems from occurring.
Put a sign on the front door of your business stating that no food or drinks are allowed inside. This won’t necessarily mean that customers still won’t bring them into your store, but it will show that you took steps to avoid problems.
Another important thing you can do will be to closely inspect how your merchandise is displayed. For example, there may be some boxes that are stacked too high, and they could fall over and injure someone. Items stacked on taller shelves could also fall.
Check your floors carefully as well. Look for broken tiles that could catch someone’s shoe or any protruding ridges someone could trip over.
If an Accident Takes Place
Unfortunately, no matter how many steps you may take toward preventing premises liability cases, an accident can still happen. If someone is hurt on your property due to slipping on your floor, make a detailed accurate report of the incident. Closely observe details such as the condition of the floor and the kinds of shoes the injured person was wearing. They may, for example, have been wearing a slippery type of shoe that could have contributed to the fall.
Staying proactive with your property safety goes a long way in preventing injuries in the first place and can mitigate or even prevent damage claims against you.