Occasionally, large verdicts in premise liability claims hit the mainstream news. Recently, a court case involving CVS Pharmacies resulted in a $43 million verdict against the company. An appeals case upheld the verdict.
The question remains: do large verdicts impact the way companies and insurers do business?
A push for better security
Insurance Journal states that many insurers take notice when large claims for premises liability make their way through the court system. Inadequate building security, both inside and outside the premises, continues to play a role in large verdicts across the country.
A person injured while at a company due to a criminal act can successfully sue a company in certain conditions. Because of this, insurers could require insureds to shore up security at their buildings.
One example involved the robbery and shooting of a man while seated in his car at a CVS parking lot. The jury found the company knew about the dangers and did little to take reasonable action to protect customers. Several similar cases spurred many companies to bolster store and parking lot security.
A drive for better infrastructure
Large verdicts in trip and fall cases might also lead to stores paying more attention to uneven flooring and obstacles. Retail outlets and other businesses can make simple changes that do not cost a lot of money and could reduce the chances of injuries from customers and employees. Insurance companies might persuade their clients to proactively address risks.
Some observers express skepticism that companies will do better on removing premise liability risks. They cite numerous examples of companies failing to make even minor building upgrades that would lead to improved safety for the general public.
