I think it all comes down to the type of person you inherently are: risk-averse tolerant. This is usually applied when talking about investing in money, but can also be applied here when undertaking a business venture. Like you said, if you do a little bit of research you can determine the companies track record and get an idea of the direction the company is heading. Some people such as entrepreneurs may be more likely to get involved in some sort of partnership or start their own business, and must assume the risk in doing so. If you just want a stable job, you may want to look for positions in a proven large corporation with relatively strong job security and less accountability. With all of this hopefully factoring into where you are applying in the first place, I do not think I would let any of that influence my decision after the fact. Much of the liability comes from fraud and unethical business practices, so if you are confident you could perform your job duties correctly and in an ethical manner, you should not have any problems.