Running a business or owning a rental property is a time-consuming and expensive venture. Physical stores and offices can cost a lot more than just providing remote or digital services. That’s because of the risk involved with allowing people onto a property that you own or maintain.
Those who make physical locations accessible to the public not only have to worry about how those facilities represent their business but also the potential liability those facilities represent. If someone were to get hurt while visiting a business or a property, the owner of the building or the property manager could find themselves in a legally vulnerable position regarding the costs associated with that accident.
In other words, they have to worry about premises liability. Premises liability refers to the legal and financial responsibility someone incurs when others visit their property. Slip-and fall accidents are perfect examples of common premises liability issues. They can be expensive, but it’s also possible for businesses to prevent them with good maintenance practices.
Most slip-and-fall accidents are preventable
When people slip and then fall as a result, they could suffer a wide range of injuries. Some people walk away with just a little bit of a bump and a sense of embarrassment. Others could break a bone, tear a tendon or even suffer a traumatic brain injury.
Falls are a leading cause of injury for those who visit and work for businesses alike, and slip-and-fall accidents send over a million people to the emergency room every year. The saddest thing about this is that most slip-and-fall accidents could be prevented with adequate maintenance on the part of property owners.
Spills, leaks, unclean floors or over-polished surfaces are all examples of maintenance risks that businesses have power over. When they don’t take action to keep their premises safe, other people can wind up hurt.
Slip-and-fall injury victims have several options available
Typically, someone who rents their property out, makes it accessible to the public or just owns real estate, will have an insurance policy that protects them from most kinds of liability. These liability policies can offer compensation to people who get hurt in slip-and-fall incidents and similar accidents.
However, as with any insurance company, victims need to take great care not to waive any of their rights or make any statements that implicate them before they have fully reviewed the offer made by the insurance company.
In the event that there isn’t adequate insurance or that the insurance offer simply doesn’t cover all the expenses a victim incurs, a personal injury lawsuit may be a way for people to recoup the costs and expenses associated with a traumatic slip-and-fall incident in New York that leaves someone seriously injured.