What do you think about the recent lawsuit involving a Los Angles woman and the famous lingerie company, Victoria’s Secret? In case you missed the story, here’s a quick recap:
In spring 2007, a woman was slipping into fresh clothing after her workout. As she was changing, the heart-shaped rhinestone on her panties snapped off and, in a slingshot motion, flew up and hit her in the eye. Despite the injury, she was able to drive home safely. However, the next morning, she woke up with acute pain—which she says caused her to miss more than two weeks of work.
More than a year later, in June 2008, the woman decided to take legal action against Victoria’s Secret. She claims she suffered a scratched cornea from the decorative rhinestone. Despite the fact that these panties were not brand new—in fact, she had worn them multiple times before they “malfunctioned”—and that ophthalmologists have said that a typical cornea abrasion clears up after a couple of days, not two weeks, this woman is taking an aggressive and public position against the lingerie company.
She is seeking compensation for more than just her lost wages. As of LF’s press time, her lawyer had not been willing to release the value the woman is suing Victoria’s Secret for, but he has indicated that this incident will affect his client for the rest of her life. The main claim of the suit is that there was a design defect and that suing this large lingerie company will help make retailers accountable for their products.
Now this may sound unreasonable to many, but, unfortunately, these types of lawsuits happen all the time. As a business owner, this is something that you should be worried about if you don’t have insurance or have inadequate insurance. The moment someone sets foot in your salon, you could be liable for anything that takes place. I am sure most of you sell retail items at your salons, such as lotions, clothing, swimwear, jewelry and even lingerie. As a result, your salon is exposed to various types of liabilities, and lawsuits like this are one of the many reasons why you need to make sure you have sufficient insurance coverage.
There are only a few people who know all the details of this situation or similar lawsuits, but you might think that these types of lawsuits don’t seem fair. I guess it depends on what side you are on. As a business owner, you are probably going to be the one that is being sued. Just think about the legal fees alone in a case such as this. Lawyer’s costs when representing you in any lawsuit could seriously deplete or even destroy your business finances. The only way to protect yourself is to invest in an insurance policy that can transfer your risk to your insurance carrier.
Jenny Bortman is an account executive for Phoenix-based Universal Insurance. For more information or to get a quick, no-obligation quote, call (800) 844-2101 or visit www.universalinsuranceltd.com.
