If you or someone you know takes an injury on the property of a Florida business, be aware that the business might approach you with an offer to cover the medical costs with their general liability insurance. According to Chron.com, this form of insurance is used for many purposes, like protecting companies from accusations of slander, but the main focus of general liability insurance is to cover resulting liabilities when a company damages the property of a third party or causes injury to another person.
Typically, businesses will use general liability insurance when an employee damages the property of a separate party, or a third party is hurt on the property of a company, or if someone suffers injury as the result of an employee’s actions. These injuries can occur if a person slips and falls on the floor of a store, or if the carelessness of an employee inflicts injury on someone who is walking past. For instance, a pedestrian may believe the area to be safe, but an employee thoughtlessly drops a tool that strikes the pedestrian.
Some companies may also carry medical payments coverage, which gives them a way to intervene in the event someone gets hurt. Basically, a company will use a medical payment policy to compensate an injury victim for medical bills. This is done in lieu of the victim suing the company for damages. Businesses generally will use their medical payments coverage to stave off bad press and prevent an injury lawsuit.
However, general liability insurance does not cover all possible ways a person can get hurt as a result of company negligence. According to FitSmallBusiness, an employee who gets hurt on the job will not be covered. General liability insurance also does not cover injuries inflicted by a company’s commercial vehicles, injuries suffered by the use of products or alcohol if sold by the business, or instances of paperwork and contract errors. All of these causes of injury require their own forms of coverage.
Even if you should receive an offer to have your medical bills covered by the company’s general liability insurance, asking for advice from professional legal counsel is a wise move. The company’s insurance could have a limit that makes the coverage insufficient to pay for all of your medical bills, so you should beware of lowballing. You might be asked to sign a release that waives your rights to sue. Asking for professional legal help can help you sort through possible legal questions that arise from general liability insurance.