When a Corporation may be Responsible for Your Personal Injury

June 28, 2017 | Attorney, Matthew Dolman
When a Corporation may be Responsible for Your Personal Injury

When you think of a personal injury case, you may think of a legal claim that is filed against another individual, such as a driver or property owner. However, did you know that many personal injury lawsuits involve a corporate entity as a party? There are many situations in which your personal injury claim may include a business as a liable party and the following are only some examples of when this may occur.

Accidents Caused by Defective Products

Many injuries happen because some type of product was defective. When a consumer purchases a defective product and that product malfunctions, injuries can happen in many different ways. For example, if brakes are defective and suddenly stop working, a driver can lose control and crash. In addition, if a crib or another infant product malfunctions and collapses, a small child can sustain serious injuries.

Some examples of products that can be defective and lead to injuries include:

  • Car, motorcycle, and truck parts
  • Bicycles and other recreational equipment
  • Child and baby products
  • Household appliances
  • Furniture and home decor
  • Electronics
  • Tools and power tools
  • Equipment in the workplace
  • Pharmaceuticals
  • Medical equipment

When a defective product causes injuries, you can seek compensation for your losses by filing a products liability claim. Products liability law holds companies liable for any of the following:

  • Defective design of a product
  • Improper assembly of a product or uses inadequate materials
  • Failure to warn consumers of the inherent risks of a product

These cases can be highly technical and you should always have an experienced products liability attorney handling your case.

Injuries Caused by Employees

Another situation in which a company may be a party to a lawsuit occurs when an employee of the company is negligent and causes injuries. The law holds employers accountable for the negligence of their employees under a legal principle called “respondeat superior.” In order for such liability to exist, the employee must have been acting within the duties of their job at the time of the accident. For example, if an employee was making a delivery for their employer and caused a car crash, the company may also be held liable for the injured motorists. There are various ways that companies may try to fight against such liability, so these cases can be complicated.

In addition, if an employee causes an accident, there are some circumstances in which a company can be held responsible for negligent hiring. This is the case if the company hired someone who had was unqualified, untrained, unlicensed, or otherwise had a history of behaviors that would indicate they may cause injuries. Examples can include a truck driver being hired despite a history of drunk driving or a nursing home employee with a history of assault or other violence. If the employer knew or should have known of the risk of dangerous activities and hired the employee anyway, the company can be held liable for any harmful acts of the employee.

Hospital Malpractice

When a doctor commits medical malpractice, an injured patient can file a legal claim against that individual medical professional. However, malpractice can also regularly occur in a hospital setting that can lead to a claim against the hospital itself. Some examples of hospital malpractice can include:

Improper supervision - Many hospital patients need assistance doing even the most basic of tasks and should be constantly supervised whenever they leave their beds. If hospital staff fails to properly supervise a patient and they fall down, the hospital may be liable for the resulting injuries. The same goes for monitoring vital signs and properly responding to emergency situations.

Medication errors - Hospitals administer thousands of pills on a daily basis and it is vital that each patient receives the right dose of the right type of medication. However, it happens all too often that charts get mixed up or a hospital staff member fails to properly record medication given and a patient either receives too much medication, too little medication, or the wrong type of medication altogether. These errors can cause serious injuries and complications for patients.

Nosocomial infections - Hospitals are hotbeds for infections and, therefore, staff members are expected to meet high standards for sterilization of equipment, hands, and more. When conditions are not completely sanitary, patients can contract new infections from the hospital - commonly called nosocomial infections. Infections can cause serious complications for patients who are already ill or injured and can delay recovery time and increase expenses.

Negligent security - Hospitals should have security systems in place to control who is allowed on the premises and into the rooms of patients. If someone gets into a patient's room and assaults them or causes harm in any way, the hospital can be held liable for that harm due to inadequate security measures.

The above are only some of many situations in which corporations can be held liable for personal injuries.

Contact Our Clearwater Personal Injury Lawyers for Help Today

No matter what caused your accident and injuries, trying to seek compensation from a corporation is never a simple task. Companies have insurance companies ready and willing to fight against liability whenever they can. Companies also often have in-house legal teams that can devote significant time and resources to fighting against a lawsuit. These legal teams will often threaten to go to trial to try to drain your resources and influence you to drop the claim or accept a settlement that is far less than you deserve.

With Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA on your side, however, you do not have to worry about the complexities of going up against a corporate entity. Our law firm has the resources and skill needed to take on any party in an insurance claim or litigation to ensure you receive the full amount you deserve. If you have been injured and a corporation may be responsible, you need a highly qualified and heavy-hitting law firm on your side. Please call our personal injury attorneys at 727-451-6900 to discuss your case for free today.

Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA 800 North Belcher Road Clearwater, FL 3375 (727) 451-6900

 

Matthew Dolman

Personal Injury Lawyer

This article was written and reviewed by Matthew Dolman. Matt has been a practicing civil trial, personal injury, products liability, and mass tort lawyer since 2004. He has successfully fought for more than 11,000 injured clients and acted as lead counsel in more than 1,000 lawsuits. Always on the cutting edge of personal injury law, Matt is actively engaged in complex legal matters, including Suboxone, AFFF, and Ozempic lawsuits.  Matt is a lifetime member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum for resolving individual cases in excess of $1 million and $2 million, respectively. He has also been selected by his colleagues as a Florida Superlawyer and as a member of Florida’s Legal Elite on multiple occasions. Further, Matt has been quoted in the media numerous times and is a sought-after speaker on a variety of legal issues and topics.

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