Miami business owners have so many things to worry about: profit, expenses, payroll, hiring and advertising, among many other things. Making enough money to earn a profit is a top goal for every business. One way to do this is to prevent accidents on the premises.
Premises liability issues include slip and fall accidents and accidents caused by defective products inside a store. It’s a good idea for companies to avoid these accidents as best as possible because premises liability claims can eat away at profits. Depending on the injuries a victim suffers, a company may be forced to pay tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars or even more.
Business owners have a legal responsibility to keep customers reasonably safe. It cannot be expected for employees to monitor an entire store every minute of the day, but the premises must be inspected at regular intervals. If dangerous conditions exist, they should either be cleaned up immediately or be made aware to customers so they can avoid serious injuries.
It is important to know that not all injured customers automatically have valid premises liability claims against the company. If the company made customers aware of the situation – through proper signage and other notices – and the customer became injured anyway, then the company cannot be considered negligent. The company met its obligation through posted signs and barricades to prevent customer access to the dangerous condition.
Despite regular maintenance and quick attention to spills, accidents can still occur, especially in grocery stores and other types of businesses where liquids are present. Those injured at a place of business do have a right to file a claim and seek damages, especially if serious injuries occurred. Determining liability can be difficult in many cases. Ultimately, whether or not the business will be liable for the injuries will depend on what the judge and jury decide.
Source:
Quality Magazine, “Preventing Premises Liability” Bryan L. Berson, Oct. 08, 2013
