Slip And Fall Attorney Tips For Managing Risk At Your Gas Station
As the owner or manager of a gas station, there are many things you can do to lower the risk of a customer falling on your property and suing you. While any business with daily customer traffic is at risk of customers slipping and falling, you absolutely can manage this risk with a bit of concentrated effort. To this end, follow each of these slip and fall attorney tips to protect your gas station from liability and to keep your patrons safe.
Tip: Inspect Your Property for Potential Problem Areas
While you know your property like the back of your hand, that can actually be a problem when it comes to managing slip, trip, and fall risks. You know where every item is located, so your brain has been programmed, so you avoid things while walking around. However, your customers do not have the benefit of this same programming.
With the eyes of a customer or even the help of another person, walk every inch of your gas station's property and look for potential problems. Is there a puddle of water from yesterday's rain that someone could slip on? Is there a garden hose on your landscaping strip someone could trip over while walking their dog? Walk around and make a list of any areas you can improve.
Tip: Fix Any Causes of Standing Water
If there are any areas where water pools on your asphalt or concrete, take the necessary steps to fix the root cause. For example, if your rain gutter or awning is leaking water, then have them repaired. If there are low spots in the parking lot or walkways, then have them leveled.
Tip: Plow Snow and Salt Ice During Storms
While you cannot be expected to prevent any ice or snow from sitting on your gas station's property, you can mitigate your risk of a slip and fall lawsuit by plowing away snow and salting any icy areas. These actions show you took steps to protect your customers from injury.
Tip: Have Your Parking Lot Pressure Washed Regularly
Finally, one of the best things you can do to keep customers on their feet while getting gas at your station is to regularly pressure wash the parking lot and around the gas pumps. Washing removes any grease, oil, and gasoline sitting on the surface of the pavement that can mix with water during storms and make it slippery.
For more information on slip and fall accidents, contact your local attorney.
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