Chicago Slip and Fall Attorney

Chicago Slip and Fall Accident Lawyer

Every year, millions of people sustain injuries through a slip or fall, making it the leading cause of non-fatal emergency room visits in nearly every age group and costing victims upwards of $14 million every year. If you or someone close to you has been injured on the premises of another person’s property as a result of the negligence or recklessness of that property’s owner, tenant, or manager, you may be entitled to recover damages for your injuries.

get a free consultation 

Can You Sue for a Slip and Fall in Chicago?

According to Illinois law, from the date the fall occurred, you have up to two years to make a claim against the property owner, building manager or landlord who allowed the conditions to exist. An experienced slip and fall attorney in Chicago can help you navigate this claim. The scope of reparations you request in your claim is generally divided into two categories:

• Economic damages: This type comprises all the things you have lost due to the fall that have monetary value, such as lost wages, medical bills and physical therapy for recovery.
• Non-economic damages: These damages account for things without a precisely measured dollar figure, like loss of quality of life and emotional damage.

Slip and Fall Laws in Illinois

When a visitor or tenant is injured on the premises of another person’s property, the owner or tenant of that property may be legally responsible if their negligence or recklessness led to the injury. If you have suffered injuries as a result of a slip and fall accident at someone’s home or business which you believe to be a result of the recklessness or negligence of another person, you may be entitled to recover damages for your medical bills, lost earnings, pain and suffering, disfigurement and permanent disability.

Proving Liability in a Slip and Fall Lawsuit

In order to recover for a slip and fall accident, plaintiffs must generally prove that the property owners either caused the injury by either failing to maintain the property, creating unsafe conditions which caused the injury or failing to alert visitors and tenants to their knowledge of a dangerous hazard or unsafe premises. Such conditions may involve:

• Uneven, cracked or damaged walkways and stairs
• Inadequate lighting
• Loose rugs, broken handrails and other walkway hazards
• Wet floors or spills
• Holes in the ground or uneven ground
• Broken amenities, like elevators or escalators

Another important distinction is whether the unsafe condition was permanent or temporary. When an injury occurs as a result of a temporary condition, the length of time the hazardous condition existed may have a bearing on the ability to prove your case. In general, the longer a hazard exists, the stronger your case, as it means the property owner had more time to rectify the situation before you were hurt.

contact usAdditionally, when a slip and fall accident occurs on ice or snow, liability for that injury may depend on whether or not the accumulation was a natural or unnatural accumulation. A natural accumulation would include freshly fallen snow and unnoticed, undisturbed ice. In contrast, an unnatural accumulation may come from piles of snow shoveled or plowed with the intention of clearing a path but instead creating even more significant hazards.

What to Do After a Slip and Fall Injury

Your case starts as soon as hazardous conditions contribute to you slipping and falling on someone else’s property. When an accident occurs, follow these steps — in this order:

1. Get treatment: Before you consider making a case, visit a doctor or the hospital and get treatment for your injury. Falls can lead to serious injuries that may not be immediately obvious, such as internal bleeding. An exam from a professional also helps create a paper trail that you’ll need to prove your injuries in court.
2. Report the accident and gather evidence: Next, notify the property owner, building manager or someone in charge of the property’s maintenance that you were injured. While doing so, see whether you can start gathering evidence. Eyewitness accounts, security footage, photos or videos of the accident site and written testimony can all play a role in painting a comprehensive picture of the incident.
3. Speak with a Chicago slip and fall accident lawyer: If you plan to take any action about the accident, you need professional legal help to guide you through the process. The team at Argionis & Associates is highly skilled in Illinois slip and fall laws, and we’ll ensure your case is tried and treated fairly.

Completing these steps as soon as possible after the accident will resolve your case as quickly as possible. Still, going through this process takes time, and as you navigate the case with your personal injury attorney, there are a few things you should avoid, such as:

• Talking to insurance representatives: You should avoid speaking to insurance companies without a Chicago slip and fall injury attorney’s guidance and presence. You may unwittingly give them information they can later use against you.
• Telling non-involved parties: Whether online or in person, wanting to discuss your situation is only natural. However, you should avoid talking about the case with others until it’s over.

Talk to an Experienced Chicago Slip and Fall Attorney About Your Case

If you would like to discuss a slip and fall injury, please call our Chicago personal injury law firm at 312-782-4545 or contact us online for a free consultation.

contact us