In Australia, the laws are clear and strict. Violating the laws can put you in a very difficult situation. On the other hand, respecting others and their wellbeing isn’t hard. From the day until night, we have many responsibilities. While driving to work, we should obey traffic rules. At work, employers should make sure their workers are safe. If you run a business, your duty is to provide your services without causing any harm. If you bring your kids to school, the institution’s responsibility is to keep the children safe. Known as the duty of care, your responsibilities are to provide a safe environment for all. If breached, a lawsuit against you can be filed.
Responsibilities in traffic
As we are all certain that the majority of the vehicle collisions are because of foreseeable reasons, our duty is to obey the rules. Traffic is a complex mechanism where a small mistake pile onto major accidents. Due to your aggressive driving, others can be put at risk. Cruising above speed limits, overloaded vehicles, cuts and other irresponsible driving actions pose a great risk to others. If someone sustains injuries due to your negligence, the victim can claim car accident compensation. Which will cause a significant increase in your insurance premium. Worse, if you have committed a driving offence, things can get a lot more serious, and you can be charged with a crime instead of tort.
Your wrongful actions in traffic have consequences. After an accident, the victim can be impaired, can suffer from emotional distress, lose their income as a result of being unable to work and medical treatment payments can cause major financial difficulties. Under the personal injury laws, the party liable for the damage will be recovering the victim’s loss. In Australia, third-party insurers handle these claims.
Responsibilities of business owners
If you own a business place or thinking about starting a business, you should be aware of the laws. Employers are obliged to maintain the work at acceptable standards. This means, the business place should be safe, the workers’ capacities should not be pushed, danger factors should be eliminated, and the necessary working equipment should be distributed to the workers.
Just as in motor vehicle accidents, the majority of workplace accidents occur from foreseeable causes. Recently, there has been news on asbestos diseases where the infected workers mentioned the absence of sufficient protective equipment. This is a valid reason to sue your employer if you sustain similar medical difficulties. Other than the work equipment, worker’s safety should be sustained all the time. Sometimes, employers disregard the hazardous work environment or simply delay solving the problem. Which is, under the laws, is negligence.
Restaurants and coffee shops can be dangerous for visitors
Especially places with many decoration objects, restaurants, cafés, grill houses and other similar public places can be dangerous for the visitors if not maintained properly. Ignoring risk in a business place can lead to accidents. One of these most encountered accidents is slip and fall accidents. Especially in countries like Australia where the heat is on exceptional levels, air conditioning is fundamental. On the other hand, air conditioning systems can cause water leakages. In this situation, the risk is foreseeable for the business as water puddles can be slippery. The business’s duty is to eliminate this danger as the risk can transform into reality. If the business fails to perform its duties, visitors can sustain injuries which can lead to a major economic and non-economic loss. On a similar occasion, the victim can claim public liability compensation.
