Best Methods to Deal with a Visitor Injury at Your Business

A visitor injury can be terrible for your business, and you must take all the precautions to ensure it does not happen. Thanks to the state legislature, enterprises are responsible for maintaining a safe environment for both employers and visitors. Although employers use a workers’ compensation package with their business insurance to address injuries that occur to employees, this policy doesn’t apply to those who visit the property.

The Process of Dealing with a Visitor Injury

Not everyone who goes to your premises is a paying customer, but this doesn’t matter when protecting them from injury.

The Purpose of Business Insurance

Insurance is financial peace of mind during unexpected incidents. These can include property damage from a fire, theft, or vandalism. General liability insurance also addresses injuries to those visiting your property. Visitors can include:

• Delivery persons
• Subcontractors
• Repair persons
• Customers
• Clients
• Employee family members

Your commercial general liability policy needs to address the types of visitors you experience. An invitee has permission to be on the property, and since the business owner made a direct invitation, your business must use ordinary care to ensure the property is safe. With a trespasser, there is no invitation to be there, but the company must still take precautions to avoid acts or conditions of negligence that could potentially cause injury. With a licensee, the individual is on the property of their own choosing, often for convenience. In this situation, your business needs to have a higher standard of responsibility.

How To Handle an Injury at Your Business

Preventing foreseeable harm is a crucial step in protecting visitors to your property. However, despite your best efforts, accidents will happen. If an injury occurs, there are a few things to do to ensure both you and your visitor get the help you need.

Address the Injury Immediately

When you receive word of an injury, you must address it right away. The individual may require medical attention, so making the call to emergency services needs to occur quickly. You don’t need to follow the individual to the hospital, but you need to get their contact information or speak with a friend or family member to get this information.

Evaluate the Accident Environment

Once you address the injury, it’s time to inspect the area with the incident carefully took place. Look all around, paying attention to where corrective action is necessary. Check for faulty flooring, pieces of broken glass, trip and fall hazards, or other details. Document everything you see, both on paper and through photographs. Visual evidence is integral to a defense if the injured files a lawsuit. This evidence also helps you make corrections to the area to prevent additional injuries if the location is still a concern, rope off the site, or prevent individuals from entering the area.

Follow the Company’s Process

Every company needs a protocol for addressing injuries. Different elements could include gathering evidence, taking witness statements, and documenting the location, time, and participants involved while notifying your insurance company.

Protect Your Visitors and Business Insurance Policy

Although your business insurance will provide the support to address visitor injuries, you can help with claims by proactively addressing injuries. These tips ensure you can take care of your visitor’s concerns and business interests.

About David G. Sayles Insurance Services

At David G. Sayles Insurance Services, we help our clients decide which of these options is best for them based on their current situation and risk factors.  Contact us at 1-855-977-1842 or insureme@dsayles.mysites.io for a consultation!