You’re finally making those long-awaited upgrades to your home when an incident suddenly occurs that leaves your contractor or a member of their crew injured and in need of medical care. While the first thought should be making sure that this worker gets the attention they need, thoughts begin to race in your head as to how you may be found liable. Here are a few things to keep in mind if a contractor is injured at your house.
Duties of Care on Your Property
If you’re interested in a bathroom remodel and want to learn more about tub to shower conversions, contact Luxury Bath of NJPA. They can inspect your old tub and give you an estimate for a new shower installation, including a glass door and luxury showerhead. Before the contractor comes out, however, you want to be sure that your property is in a safe condition for workers to be able to do their job with limited dangers. You must fulfill four main duties for any person invited into your home:
- The duty to search your home for hidden hazards.
- The duty to repair known or discovered hazards as soon as possible.
- The duty to warn of any hazards to be aware of.
- The duty not to cause an injury willfully.
Wet floors and spills are among some of the more common slip-and-fall accidents that can occur within a home. However, hidden defects such as damaged stairs or cracks in the floor can create an unsafe condition that can lead to an injury claim you’re not prepared to deal with.
Premises Liability
Property owners have a responsibility to exercise reasonable care, and that’s why it’s important to have a slip and fall lawyer on your side who will seek to prove you are not the negligent party. Homeowners are obligated to practice duty of care to keep their premises safe; however, an injured party may have been involved in an accident at the fault of their employer or on their own negligence.
An important distinction to make when determining liability for a worker injury on your property is how much you as a homeowner have control over. If you’re directing workers every step of the way, you absorb greater liability for accidents and injuries. There’s nothing wrong with monitoring the work going on in your home, but you will be held accountable if there’s strong evidence you put a contractor or their employees in a hazardous situation.
Homeowners Insurance
Having homeowners insurance is an important safety net to protect you in the event of any incidents that can occur on your property. Be sure to consult your insurance agent or insurance company after the accident. For the most part, you should be covered for any and all injuries that take place on your property, including injuries to workers and contractors. There is an exception, however, if your own carelessness or negligence caused the accident.
If you are found liable for someone else’s injury on your grounds, your home insurance should cover the legal costs. You may have expanded coverage to pay for injuries. This liability coverage may help take care of future medical expenses for that injured worker, but a variety of reasons are evaluated in measuring this claim for each individual case.
Potential Slip & Fall Litigation
Whether it’s the installation of a new shower or adding another room onto your house, a worker’s injuries on your property could result in the need for a slip and fall attorney to demonstrate that your home was not an unreasonable risk. A free consultation can assess your situation and determine if your individual case can show you are not negligent for the injuries that occurred on your property. After all, you could wind up with a lawsuit from that worker seeking maximum compensation for their injuries. If your insurance company isn’t helping, you could be left footing significant bills.
