Steps Oklahoma Business Owners Should Take After a Customer Injury
When you own a business, you do your best to create a safe experience for your customers. But accidents can still happen. A customer may slip on a wet floor, trip over a rug, fall in the parking lot, or get injured while visiting your business.
If someone gets hurt at your business, it can feel stressful in the moment. You may be worried about the customer, your employees, your property, and whether your insurance will help.
Here are a few important steps Oklahoma business owners should take after a customer injury.
Make Sure the Customer Gets Help
The first priority is the customer’s safety. If the injury is serious, call 911 right away. If the customer does not need emergency care, still make sure they are in a safe place and ask if they need assistance.
Try to stay calm and professional. The way you respond in the moment matters. A customer who feels ignored or dismissed may become more upset, so it is important to show care without making promises about what will or will not be covered.
Avoid Guessing About Fault or Coverage
It is natural to want to apologize or explain what happened, but be careful not to make assumptions before the situation has been reviewed. Avoid placing blame, admitting responsibility, or promising that your business or insurance company will pay for everything.
You may not know all the details yet. There could be multiple factors involved, and your insurance company may need to review the situation before determining how coverage applies.
A better response may be simple and professional, such as: “We are sorry this happened. Let’s make sure you are okay, and we will document the incident.”
Document What Happened
After the customer is safe, write down the details of the incident as soon as possible. It is easy to forget important information later, especially if the situation was stressful.
Document details such as:
- The date and time of the incident
- Where the injury happened
- What the customer said happened
- The condition of the area
- Names of employees who were present
- Names and contact information for witnesses
- Photos or videos of the area
- Whether emergency services were called
- Any steps taken after the incident
If your business has security cameras, save the footage right away. Many systems record over old footage after a short period of time.
Take Photos of the Area
Photos can be helpful if there is ever a claim. Take pictures of the area where the injury happened, including the floor, walkway, parking lot, entryway, stairs, furniture, rug, display, or anything else that may have been involved.
If there was water, ice, a spill, uneven flooring, poor lighting, or another possible hazard, document it before the area changes.
You should also document any steps you took to prevent further injuries, such as cleaning up a spill, placing a warning sign, blocking off an area, or repairing the issue.
Notify Your Insurance Agent
If a customer is injured at your business, contact your insurance agent as soon as possible. Even if the injury seems minor, it is better to ask questions early than wait until the situation becomes more serious.
Your agent can help you understand whether the incident may need to be reported to the insurance company and what information may be needed.
Do not assume the claim will be covered or denied without reviewing your policy. Coverage depends on the type of policy you have, the details of the incident, and the circumstances surrounding the injury.
How Business Insurance May Help
General liability insurance is one of the main coverages that may apply when a customer is injured at your business.
Depending on the situation and your policy, general liability insurance may help with certain medical expenses, legal costs, or damages if your business is found responsible for a covered injury.
For example, general liability may apply if a customer slips and falls inside your business or trips over something on your property. However, every claim is different, and coverage depends on your policy language, limits, exclusions, and the facts of the incident.
What If the Injury Happens Outside?
Customer injuries do not always happen inside your building. A customer could fall on a sidewalk, in a parking lot, near an entrance, or around an outdoor seating area.
Whether your business is responsible may depend on several things, including who owns or maintains the area, what caused the injury, and what your lease or contract says.
This is one reason business owners should review their lease agreements and insurance policies carefully. If you are responsible for certain areas around your business, you need to understand what risks may come with that responsibility.
What If the Injured Person Is an Employee?
If the injured person is an employee, that is usually handled differently than a customer injury.
Employee injuries are generally connected to workers’ compensation insurance, not general liability insurance. If an employee is hurt while doing their job, you should report the injury according to your workers’ compensation process and contact your insurance agent for guidance.
This is another reason it is important to have the right business insurance in place before something happens.
Review Your Safety Procedures
After the incident is handled, take time to review what happened and how similar accidents may be prevented in the future.
Depending on the situation, this may include:
- Adding wet floor signs
- Improving lighting
- Securing rugs or mats
- Repairing uneven flooring
- Keeping walkways clear
- Salting icy sidewalks
- Training employees on incident reporting
- Creating a written safety checklist
- Reviewing parking lot or sidewalk maintenance
Preventing future accidents can help protect your customers, employees, and business.
Review Your Business Insurance Before You Need It
The best time to understand your business insurance is before an injury happens. Many business owners do not realize what their policy does or does not cover until they are already dealing with a stressful situation.
If customers visit your business, if you work on someone else’s property, or if clients come to your office, shop, restaurant, salon, or job site, it is important to review your liability coverage.
You may want to ask:
- Do I have general liability insurance?
- Are my coverage limits enough?
- Does my lease require certain insurance limits?
- Do I need a certificate of insurance?
- Are outdoor areas, sidewalks, or parking lots addressed in my lease?
- Do I have workers’ compensation coverage for employee injuries?
- Do I know who to call if an incident happens?
These questions are easier to answer before a problem occurs.
Need Help With Business Insurance in Oklahoma?
At Foundation Insurance & Risk Management, we help Oklahoma business owners understand their coverage before they need to use it. Whether you own a restaurant, salon, retail shop, office, service business, or contracting company, having the right business insurance can make a stressful situation easier to handle.
If you have questions about general liability insurance, workers’ compensation, certificates of insurance, or business coverage in Oklahoma, contact Foundation Insurance & Risk Management in Guthrie. Our team would be happy to help you review your options and protect your business.