4 Ways Your Business Can Protect Itself From Injury Liability

Liability claims as a result of employee injury are not as rare as many would think. High-risk industries, such as construction, agriculture, medicine, and marine operations experience a higher frequency of employee accidents and even deaths. According to US statistics, there were around 4000 deaths and 2.9 million non-fatal injuries in 2016. According to the Florida-based law firm, Kinney Fernandez & Boire, the following are the most common workplace injuries:

• Slips and falls – commonly found in the construction industry, when workers fall from a high-positioned structure. They may suffer from fracture, spinal injuries, internal bleeding or trauma.
• Struck by another object – heavy-duty business operations may lead to these types of accidents. This is common when you have workers who operate machinery and heavy equipment. They may suffer from loss of a limb, trauma, or wounds from the object.
• Electrocution – although there are safety guidelines for workers operating near an electrical source, there may still be accidents that can occur. Electrocution can be fatal if a person has suffered from serious burns.
• Being caught in the middle of two objects – usually caused by a fall or loss of balance, being caught in between two objects can also cause serious injuries.

If these occurrences happen in the workplace, the employer is more likely to cover the medical costs or even suffer from a lawsuit filed by the employee. How can companies avoid this? According to the group of slip and fall attorney Tampa Kinney Fernandez & Boire, there are several ways to protect your business from injury liabilities.

4 Tips To Protect Your Business From Worker Injury Liabilities

1. Ensure maintenance of all your equipment used in the workplace

The number one thing to remember when operating a high-risk business, or any business for that matter is to understand the importance of maintaining all types of equipment. Whether they are heavy machinery, or just a kitchen tool, it is important to perform regular fine-tuning, repairs, and replacements when necessary. When employees make use of poorly maintained equipment, the risk of injury is high. By law, if workers suffer injury from equipment use due to poor maintenance, companies are obliged to give some sort of medical provision. To prevent these financial and manpower losses, your business needs to keep a regular schedule of equipment maintenance.

2. Install security cameras and dashboard cameras in your workplace stations and vehicles

A helpful way to gather evidence on if a workplace injury is due to employee negligence or equipment error is to invest in security cameras. Visual evidence does not lie, and you can be alleviated of responsibility for an accident if you have evidence to prove that your employee was responsible for the injuries. For example, if you’re a Florida-based company and your employee suffered from a car accident in your parking lot, he may be compelled to seek the help of a car accident attorney Tampa. You can counter these claims by finding your own lawyer and getting the evidence found on the lot’s security tapes. This may strengthen your case and prevent the possible liability for your business.

3. Ensure that all workers are reminded of safety guidelines

Aside from being able to maintain your equipment, your manpower should also be prepared. All your employees should know your safety guidelines by heart and should be able to teach these to the newer workers. If you don’t have a government inspector who is able to visit your business regularly, you can also hire your own private inspector to give a report about how your employees apply safety guidelines in your business. These can include proper use of equipment, wearing the appropriate uniform and safety gear, as well as being knowledgeable of troubleshooting and emergency responses.

4. Hire your own company attorney

Injury liability is often contested by your employees in order to receive medical benefits for their accidents. As a business, it is your responsibility to do so, but it should be done in a lawful manner. This is where hiring your own company attorney would help, as they would be able to advise you about the right decisions on how to go about the case. They can also gather your side of the incident and present your case in court when a hearing is required. The company attorney can help lift or lighten the cost of your liability, resulting in minimal losses for your business.

When it comes to protecting your business, it can be said that these tips are a combination of prevention and action. In some instances, mishaps cannot be avoided so you must take action by respectfully settling the case. As lessons are learned, businesses are capable of upholding a higher quality of employee orientation and workplace maintenance.