Suing a Business For Personal Injury? Here’s What You Need to Know

Posted on March 11, 2025 by lvnvlawyer

You know that if you are hurt in an accident, you can file a claim against the individual who harmed you. But what happens when a business entity is responsible for your personal injuries? How are your rights affected? Can you sue the business? You may be able to, but pursuing a personal injury lawsuit against a business can be more complicated than it would be against an individual.

Personal injury attorneys can help you navigate the complexities of suing a company and recover the compensation you deserve.

When Are Businesses Liable For Personal Injuries?

Businesses may be legally responsible for personal injuries in various situations, including those that involve:

Vicarious Liability

Vicarious liability is the legal concept that holds employers responsible for the actions of their employees. For example, if an employee is working at the time of a car accident, their employer may be held legally liable for the resulting damages.

Their Own Negligence

Businesses can also be responsible for their own acts of negligence. For example, they may have negligently hired unqualified or dangerous staff.

A negligence claim requires showing that the defendant owed a legal duty to act in a certain way, breached that duty, and caused injuries, which resulted in damages.

Damages may include losses such as:

Medical expenses
Costs to repair or replace your damaged property
Lost wages
Reduced earning capacity
Pain and suffering
Loss of enjoyment of life

Keep all documentation related to your losses to help prove your claim.

Failure To Maintain the Premises

Businesses can also be held responsible for injuries that occur on their property. Business owners have a legal duty to maintain their premises in a safe condition that prevents injuries to visitors. If they fail to uphold this duty and someone is hurt as a result, the business may be responsible for those injuries under premises liability laws.

For example, customers who enter a store reasonably expect that they can shop on the premises without being injured.

Businesses could potentially be sued for injuries caused by conditions such as:

Wet or slippery floors
Missing or broken steps
Cracked pavement
Cluttered aisles
Insufficient lighting
Inadequate security
Failing to place warning signs near a hazard

An experienced personal injury lawyer can review the situation and determine if the business failed to maintain the premises.

What To Do If You’re Injured At a Business

If you’re injured in a situation in which you believe a business was responsible for your injury, there are steps you can take to protect your legal rights, including:

Reporting the accident to the business owner
Seeking prompt medical attention
Taking photos or videos of the accident or factors that contributed to it
Asking witnesses for their contact information
Keeping all of your medical records and documents related to the accident
Filing an insurance claim

It can also be helpful to write down a brief summary of how the accident happened while your memory is fresh. An experienced personal injury attorney can help with your claim.

How To Prove That a Business Is Responsible For Your Injury

In order to prove that the business is liable for your damages, you will need strong evidence. For example, in cases caused by a failure to maintain safe premises, you will need to demonstrate that the business owner knew or should’ve known about the dangerous condition and failed to remedy the problem.

Evidence that may help establish this information might include: