Accidents happen – this is a fact of life. It is what happens after an accident that is important to a business owner. Business owners have a legal and moral obligation to follow certain guidelines after a person has had an accident on their premises. Here is what happens after an accident takes place.
Medical Assistance
By far the most important thing that needs to be done after an accident is to make sure that the person who has been injured is OK. Depending on the kind of accident that has occurred, professional medical help may be needed. In cases like this, an ambulance needs to be called immediately. However, some accidents can be treated on the spot and every business needs to have a member of staff on hand that can administer basic first aid. Invest in first aid training for members of staff to facilitate the safe and legal treatment of minor injuries on site. The American Red Cross association offers first aid certification training to extremely good standards.
Sealing the Area
Staff should make sure that members of the public cannot interfere with the injured person. Sealing off the area until professional help arrives, or the person recovers, is a good idea. Some people can do more damage than good when trying to help somebody after an accident. Don’t facilitate a ‘too many cooks’ type situation.
Record or Report
Somebody needs to record or report what is happening during the incident to facilitate compensation justice in the future and to let paramedics know the exact features of the accident if they are needed on the scene. Don’t film an injured person without their consent. Instead, write down what has happened and keep the information confidential.
Absence
If a worker has been injured, they will often need to have some time away from work. You need to organize their cover during this time. It is incredibly bad form (and often illegal) to replace an injured staff member.
Claiming Compensation
Both employees and customers are entitled to seek compensation if they are injured at business premises. Companies are required to have commercial general liability insurance so that they can meet their compensatory responsibilities. Businesses that do not have adequate insurance will find themselves facing severe financial penalties. Some injury compensation claims are extremely big. Worker’s compensation cases have been known to result in 10 million dollar settlements. Without insurance, this would never reasonably be paid.
Legal Processes
Around 95 percent of all employee injury legal proceedings never make it to court. A similar percentage of customer injury claims also get settled before anybody needs to put their hand on a bible and swear to tell nothing but the truth. You should do everything in your power to avoid being taken to court as a business. This usually involves the early payment of compensation and an acceptance of liability. If you really must fight a case in court, get prepared to lose a great deal of money in the process. Accept that you may need to claim on your insurance and move on.
