If you’re a small business owner then you’re probably doing everything in your power to ensure every step you take is to the letter of the law. No one wants a hefty lawsuit placed on their desk so it would be silly to try and cut corners and evade important steps. There are, of course, certain people that will try and exploit you but being aware of those lawsuits will help you avoid them indefinitely. What are the kinds of lawsuits every business should be aware of as a small business owner? Let's outline the different types.
One of the most commonly known lawsuits is slip & fall. As the name would suggest, this is where a person will slip over on uneven ground, wet surfaces, or even an unmarked hazard, and fall over resulting in injury.
These kinds of accidents can lead to some serious injuries, meaning the victim might not be able to work. If this is the case and the proper procedures weren’t in place then there could be a hefty bill coming your way.
If you’re working and find yourself in a situation that leads to an injury then you might want to consider taking action yourself. When talking with a Roanoke personal injury lawyer, they explained that having representation to help you through your court case will be invaluable. Being able to trust someone to know every detail of the law is a must. It will also help you build the strongest case in order to win.
To explain a breach of contract in simple terms, it means you have failed to carry out the terms of a contract. It comes in many forms, including failing to pay for goods, failure to deliver goods, delivering damaged goods, revealing business secrets, etc. These can happen on a daily basis and many companies find themselves in hot water due to not paying attention to their services.
You could find yourself getting sued if you fail to uphold your end of the contract. Businesses are known to sue other businesses, especially for breach of contract. So, ensure your entire workforce is complying with the regulations you set in place.
When someone is driving their own car, they are liable for anything that happens, whether that be a crash or something minor. When someone is driving a company vehicle then your business could be liable.
If an employee is working within the terms of their job description and something happens then it’s down to the company to sort it out. The only exception is if your employee was doing something not in their job description, like using a company truck to go to the supermarket.
Even though we live in 2020 and discrimination shouldn’t even be close to our thoughts, there are still people that actively take part. This doesn’t mean that you’re discriminating within your company or with any customers. It means that there’s a chance of people suing for reasons perceived to be discriminatory. As long as a business owner treats everyone with the same respect there shouldn’t be an issue.
This is a big workplace issue and has surfaced in recent years with employees finding the courage to come out and tell their story. It turns out that there has been quite a bit of harassment within companies over the years and it’s not acceptable.
As a business owner, you should be doing everything in your power to ensure there isn’t this kind of behavior happening in your offices.
Intellectual property is a person's thoughts and ideas, they own it and they can do as they wish with it. If a company uses another person’s intellectual property for their own personal gain then there could be a lawsuit following. Things like profits gained and possible damages are held legally accountable including plagiarism and intellectual property theft.
It’s important to remember that this isn’t always deliberate so make sure before you use anything to further your business.
When it comes to avoiding a lawsuit then as long as you’re sensible and don’t take enormous risks then you should be ok. Always watch what you say and think about everything first. Often things such as an inappropriate joke can be taken as harassment or a misstatement taken as a fraudulent claim. When it comes down to it, if you’re in doubt then just avoid it altogether.
Keep up to date with what’s going on within your company and try to avoid these lawsuits every business should be aware of in any way you can. There’s no point in letting your hard work go down the drain for nothing.
