Getting A Little Help

As a business owner, premises liability laws make you responsible for injuries that occur on your property. This includes the parking lot, as long as you directly control it. Thus, you need to recognize and eliminate the dangerous conditions that can lead to parking lot injuries. Here are three examples of such dangerous conditions:

Poor Lighting

A dark parking lot is an obvious danger; it can lead to accidents as well as cases of assault. For example, the absence of light can make your customers slip and fall on debris they would otherwise step over if the area was well lit. Thugs can also take advantage of the situation to rob your clients since they can easily hide in the darkness.

Poor lighting isn't just about the absence of lighting; you should also be concerned about flickering lights, uneven light distribution, and over-illumination. All these things make it difficult for your visitors to see clearly, and they can also lead to accidents. Consult an electrician to help you design and maintain proper illumination for your parking lot.

Wet and Slippery Grounds

Different things can make your parking lot wet and slippery. Rainfall, snow, and oil spills are the usual suspects. It is your duty to clear these things from your parking lot; even if you have contracted a third party to do it, you are the one who will be liable if the third party doesn't act and someone gets injured. The same thing is true of any debris that may accumulate in the parking lot, such as discarded bottles, fruit peels, and food wrappings.

You can't be expected to remove all debris or clear spills immediately as they occur, but you need to act in a reasonable and timely manner. Whether or not you have acted reasonably will be up to the court to decide if a person gets injured and sues you. Protect yourself by acting as soon as possible when your parking lot experiences spills.

Poor Maintenance 

Lastly, you should also be concerned about the condition of your parking lot. Inadequate maintenance can lead to potholes, cracks, and uneven surfaces, all of which can make people lose their step and fall. Then there is also the issue of insufficient or missing signs, such as those directing traffic in and out of the parking lot. All of these can lead to accidents, and you will be the liable party if it is determined that proper maintenance could have prevented them.

Facing many injury lawsuits can raise your liability insurance rates. If you don't have liability insurance, any lawsuit can damage your finances severely. It's in your best interest, and your legal right, to defend such cases to the best of your ability, which usually means hiring an experienced attorney. 

For more information and details about protecting yourself from a personal injury lawsuit, talk with a lawyer or visit websites like http://www.trammellandmills.com.