Owning and running a business can be a very difficult challenge. Of course, that is not breaking news, but it is what it is. There are many contributing factors as to why that is the case, but managing office space, dealing with customers, and fighting your marketplace competitors; managing your own business is arguably one of the hardest things to do!
Another thing that business owners have to deal with, other than all the challenges mentioned above, is the chance of dealing with negligence claims.
What are negligence claims? Glad you asked. According to findlaw.com, negligence is one of the most common types of lawsuits. "Negligence describes a situation in which a person acts in a careless (or "negligent") manner, which results in someone else getting hurt or property being damaged. Negligence can often be a difficult area of law to define because it involves a legal analysis of the elements of negligence as they relate to the facts of a particular case."
So, with that being the case, how do you avoid negligence claims when running your business? Below are a few quick tips:
Great Communication
Communication is important wherever you go. In the business world, ordering food from a restaurant, talking to family and friends, the list goes on and on. But when it comes to negligence claims, by communicating effectively, you lessen the risk of a lawsuit coming your way.
Keeping Things In Writing
Continuing with the topic of communication, getting and keeping things in writing is essential. If messages and documentation are recorded in writing, whether over email or in other message exchanges, it decreases the likelihood of the 'he said she said' game ever occurring. If you have recorded documentation, you have the evidence to back yourself up if a claim is filed against you.
Understand Your Limits
Know what you can and can not do. Do not promise something that you will not be able to follow through with. You set yourself up to fail if you do that. So, with that being the case, it is important to stay in line and...
Keep Working Inside Of Your Field
Understanding your limits goes hand in hand with staying inside your field of expertise. If you go out of that zone, you again set yourself up for the opportunity to be sued. Why? Just think about it: if a foot doctor were to say, "Yes, I could repair your injured hand," to a client, the expectation is that they do what they said they could. Now, if the foot doctor made their clients' hand even worse, they set themselves up for quite the legal battle.
There is not a lot of room for error when it comes to negligence claims. Seriously, a lawsuit could be coming at any time if you are not careful. So stay in your line, keep records of everything, and make sure you communicate as effectively as possible.