What To Do When A Handyman Gets Injured Handling A Job For You

Picture this situation. There has been damage made at your home, and you don't know how to fix it, so you hire help. The handyman comes to your house, and everything is going well until an accident happens, and they sustain an injury. Now the situation has gone from bad to worse, and you now have a possible lawsuit on your hands. The most important thing you can do is to stay calm. Here is some advice on what you should do.  

Prevent it From Happening

Let's go a few steps back. When you hire any private contractor, the first thing you should do is warn them of any possible danger. For example, your pipe is leaking, and you hire a plumber to come and fix it. The lines are located in the basement, and the stairs that lead to it are old and worn out. When he tries to get to it, they fall through them and break their leg. If you haven't warned them about those stairs, they have more significant legal claims to sue you, and the expense of that could be too costly. That is why, before hiring the help, you should always carefully assess the state of space that needs fixing. 

Get Legal Advice

The accident has already happened, and you are not sure how to proceed. First of all, you should consider making an appointment with a personal injury law firm and go to them for consultations. They will help you assess the situation and find the best way to proceed. Depending on the case, you could very quickly be sued for negligence.  

Consult with the professionals and try to construct the best possible strategy. They will help you procure evidence of your innocence, like contacting witnesses and build your defense accordingly. There are legal details that only a professional attorney can know, so make sure to get them before doing anything else. 

Keep a Good Relationship

When hiring a handyman, always make a detailed and viable contract. In some cases, if you don't do that, you could get a penalty and make your matter even worse. Be sure always to keep a good relationship with them. After the injury, call the emergency services or make sure that they get help in any other way. 

Please stay in contact with them, get their medical info, and keep up with their physical state. Make sure to ask them if they're okay. The bigger the injury, the more complicated the whole legal process is. Try to convince them to get a settlement. Offer them any help you could give.

Review Your Homeowner's Insurance Policy

If the injuries are not that serious, medical insurance will probably cover the costs of treatment. You, as a homeowner, probably have the homeowner's insurance policy. Make sure to review it and get information on what you can do to cover the damage. Most of those policies won't pay for specific situations.  

Some of those are: 

● if the injury was caused by an accident away from your property, like car accidents

● intentional acts that caused injury

● If the person was engaged in a criminal act

Also, make sure to get the details of your handyman's insurance policy to get the full picture. Those kinds of information can be beneficial when trying to avoid paying enormous fees. 

What To Do When A Handyman Gets Injured Handling A Job For You

Don't Admit Guilt

When the accident happens, try to be as helpful as possible. However, you should always watch what you say, as anything you say, even if you don't think it's essential, can be used against you. In some cases, people have lost their chances of admitting that they knew about the dangers. And have failed to disclose them at the beginning. 

For example, if you say something like "I should have fixed that a while ago!" in the heat of the moment without thinking, you have probably already lost. Additionally, please don't blame the injured person as it could lead to a fight, which would do you no right. When the accident happens, call the emergency services and try to abstain from saying anything or answering any questions before consulting legal help.

Final Word

As previously said, always stay calm and think of possible solutions. It is still best to consult with the professionals and get the full picture of making it better. Situations like these can be touching for both parties involved. Please don't rush into anything without thinking it through. It could only complicate the matters and make the experience of wanting to do something good in your living space turn into a stuff of nightmares.

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