The Slippery Sales Floor And Other Liabilities To Avoid

How often do you find yourself laughing at the accident-prone person? After you have checked to make sure that they’re not hurt, you probably let yourself give a good chuckle. If the fall was particularly ungraceful, you might even lose your breath laughing. If it was a really good fall, they’ll probably laugh with you.

However, laughing at someone who has fallen or made some sort of fumble in the workplace isn’t professional, and therefore not okay to do. If you do laugh at someone in their moment of stress, it could get you sued.

Protect your small business from a sue-happy, bungling employee and/or client with general liability insurance for small business coverage. But first, check out these liabilities to avoid.

How People Can Get Hurt

You may not realize it, but it’s actually fairly easy to get hurt. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one out of five falls can cause serious injury, resulting in broken bones or a head injury. Over 700,000 Americans a year are hospitalized due to experiencing a particularly nasty fall.

When a someone falls on a salesroom floor or in the office, they’re not the only people to suffer, your business can, too. There 10 common workplace accidents that result in injury and are as follows:

1. Overexertion

2. Falling down

3. Struck by an object and/or workplace equipment

4. Falling down from one area to another (such as from a ladder, stair, etc.)

5. Bodily reactions to product

6. Traffic accidents during work-related projects

7. Slipping or tripping (but no falling)

8. Caught in machinery

9. Repetitive motions (such as constant hunching, typing, pinning, etc.)

10. Pushed against an object and/or workplace equipment

If a customer or any of your staff members should experience an injury related to any of the above, they have cause to sue your business. The Insurance Journal reports that falls and overexertion explain the over $25 billion a year spent in workers’ compensation. While being willing to pay more for workers’ compensation to protect your employees is well worth it, you also have to remember your customers. This is where general liability insurance comes in.

General Liability Insurance

General liability insurance covers the medical expenses and property damage caused by your or your employees’ actions in an event with a customer. This can include dropping a large heavy tire on the customer’s foot, accidentally hitting them in the face with lifting equipment or simply by keeping your floors too polished, causing them to fall. If a customer is still unsatisfied with the amount of money the policy can cover, this same policy will pay for the cost of your legal defense should the customer take you to court. And if a customer says you were misleading in any way or offered poor advice that affected their lifestyle adversely, general liability insurance will cover the cost of that too.

You won’t have to fear being sued if you have general liability insurance because it will protect you, just like you’re protecting your business. Learn more about general liability insurance and other business insurance policies with CoverHound today.