Most business owners don’t want anyone getting hurt on their properties. And, it’s just because of liability claims either. It’s out of concern for the workers, vendors, and customers. Here are some tips on enhancing public safety and getting the proper liability cover.
Keep Excellent Records
Keeping records of the incident, how it happened, who was involved, when it happened, and so on protects you. It creates an objective accounting of what happened. Later on, employees, vendors, or customers can’t come back and change the story. It’s also a good idea just to get a good, accurate, reporting when the facts are clear in your mind and the minds of everyone involved. An injured person has three years from the date of injury to bring a claim against you. By that point, witnesses aren’t likely to remember fine details of what happened. They may not even be traceable by that point.
Get Advice
Hire companies such as Claims Direct to handle legal claims on your behalf. You’re not a lawyer. If you start getting legal letters in the mail, don’t respond to them directly. You could be incriminating yourself, your company, endangering your business, and costing yourself more than you think.
Check Your Insurance Cover
Make sure you’ve got Employer’s liability cover, product cover, and general liability insurance. Make sure that any exclusions don’t apply to you. Then, if you do ever need to file a claim, you’ll know that there won’t be any issues.
Contact Your Insurer
Contacting your insurer about any accident on your property is one of the first things you should do, after you’ve noted the facts, and called for medical help, if necessary. If the incident involved a crime, call the police. Your insurer will help you file a claim, if necessary, but will also tell you what your responsibilities are, what they will and will not cover, so you can decide on the best course of action. Even if you don’t think the injured party will file a claim against you, you should still file a claim. Why?
Because it protects you just in case they do. Remember, injured parties have up to 3 years to file a claim. You just can’t predict what will happen.
Never Admit Blame
Admitting blame before you’ve talked to a lawyer is a very bad idea. First of all, you might not have your facts straight. Secondly, if you offer compensation without talking to your insurer, you may cause problems during the claims process. If a third party gets into contact with an injured party about a compensation claim, you could also create a legal nightmare for yourself.
Peter Towler has held a number of senior roles relevant to health and safety issues. He is keen to provide insights and support to others online. His thoughts and suggestions can be found on a number of different websites.
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