What Do Business Owners Have to Do To Keep Visitors Safe?

While all property owners have legal obligations to make their areas safe for visitors, businesses often have special rules that apply to them. This is because businesses see far more traffic, in most cases than an average residence or other private property.  Businesses are often required by law to take reasonable steps to keep their properties safe for visitors, and if they violate these laws they may be subject to lawsuits to pay for damages related to injuries.

What Are Businesses Required To Do To Protect Visitors?

There are several specific areas of a business that may be the subject of laws or regulations aimed at keeping visitors safe:

  • Parking lot. Parking lots are areas in which injuries occur on a regular basis.  These injuries include slips, trips, and falls from icy surfaces or cluttered walkways; parking lot collisions caused by negligent drivers or areas that are not clearly marked for vehicle travel; or broken or damaged paving materials that cause accidents. Parking lots can also be the site of assaults or robberies if they are not patrolled or secured properly.  In some cases, business owners may be liable for these types of injuries if they did not take steps to prevent them.
  • Floors and shelves. The floors of any business can be a source of injury if they are not cleaned and maintained properly.  Victims may slip on wet floors that have not been mopped or trip on torn carpet that is not repaired.  Similarly, shelves of stock can collapse if they are not maintained or are overloaded; this can lead to injury for innocent shoppers.
  • Bathrooms in businesses must be cleaned and inspected regularly to prevent injury.  Not only can people slip and fall in bathrooms, but there can be other hazards such as electrical outlets or lights that are broken.  These dangerous situations can lead to serious injury if they are not handled promptly.
  • Kitchens in restaurants are often a source of injury.  These injuries can include burns, fires, smoke inhalation, and fumes from burning food, as well as slips and falls from wet floors.  Kitchen staff may also be responsible for patron illness if they do not follow recommended cleaning and storage practices.

Ultimately, businesses are responsible for keeping visitors safe.  Businesses may also be liable for injuries sustained by workers who must navigate dangerous conditions on a regular basis.  Because of these liabilities, business owners have a duty to protect visitors and workers by quickly addressing any dangers on their properties and correcting them in a timely manner.

If you have been the victim of an injury sustained in a place of business, call the professional personal injury attorneys at Barber & Associates.  For many years, we have been helping injury victims recover compensation for their medical bills, lost wages, pain, and suffering, and other expenses and costs associated with their trauma.  Call us today to learn how we can help you.

Leave a Comment