CHICAGO PREMISES LIABILITY ATTORNEYS
PRACTICE AREAS
Chicago Slip and Fall Attorneys
When many people think of a personal injury claim, they think surgery gone wrong, medical malpractice, falling on a construction site, getting in a motor vehicle accident, etc. But did you know that injuries from a slip and fall accident on someone else’s property technically fall under the umbrella of premises liability? This means that a property owner can face legal responsibility for serious injuries associated with a slip and fall case that occurred on their property. Chicago slip and fall attorneys at Curcio Law Offices have extensive experience in handling personal injury and premises liability cases. If you’ve suffered an injury on someone else’s property, we aggressively fight for your rights. In fact, we’ve been successfully litigating these cases since 1957. You can be confident in our representation and ability to help you move on with your life. If you’re ready to file a slip and fall lawsuit, call 312-321-1111 today. We offer a free consultation to all new clients.
Common Types of Premises Liability Cases
Slip and fall injuries aren’t the only types of premises liability cases out there. Premises liability cases arise whenever someone is injured on another person’s or company’s property. Some common premises liability issues that may lead to litigation include:
- Slip-and-fall cases (in hotels, grocery stores, parking lots, restaurants, on sidewalks, etc.)
- Animal bites and attacks
- Negligent security (includes inadequate lighting, criminal activity, etc.)
- Falls due to missing or defective handrails alongside stairs, etc.
- Chicago building violations, including burn injuries as a result of failure to comply with building safety and fire codes
- Construction site accidents (defective ladders, etc.), among others
Slip and Fall Claim FAQs
Premises liability covers a broad range of injuries that occur on another’s property. Chicago property owners, business owners, and municipalities are required by law to create and maintain a safe environment for visitors and patrons. People are frequently injured while on another’s property, often due to an unsafe condition on or about the property. When a slip and fall accident occurs and leads to serious injury, a premises liability claim becomes valid.
Slip and fall victims can suffer a variety of serious injuries due to unsafe property conditions. Listed below are the most common injuries that our attorneys see from slip and fall accidents.
- Soft tissue injuries
- Head injuries such as traumatic brain injuries (TBI)
- Neck injuries
- Broken bones
- Spinal cord injuries which could lead to complete or partial paralysis
- Sprained wrists and ankles
- Ligament tears
- Nerve damage
- In serious cases, wrongful death
When slip and fall accidents occur, victims should keep two priorities in mind: protecting their rights and their health. If you ever find yourself in this situation, follow the steps below.
- Seek Medical Care Immediately: The first thing you should do after a slip and fall accident is take care of yourself. Go to the ER or urgent care after your accident even if you believe you’re not injured. Many personal injury victims don’t experience symptoms of concussions, for example, until the adrenaline from their accident has worn off.
- Document Everything: Take pictures of the place where you fell. If you fell because of a broken staircase, take a picture of it. If you fell because of a wet floor in a government building, take a picture of it. Make sure to take pictures of your injuries too. After your trip to the doctor, make sure to print out your medical records for the sake of documentation. Basically, documentation is the key to incriminating the responsible party for slip and fall accidents.
- Call Slip and Fall Accident Lawyers at Curcio Law Offices: Lastly, call our office so that our slip and fall lawyers can begin investigating your claim and seeking compensation on your behalf.
Premises liability and negligence are similar in nature, but they require different criteria. Premises liability requires the duty of land and property owners to use reasonable care when addressing certain hazards that may occur on their property. In some cases, slip and fall injury claims for premises liability must meet a higher standard of proof than a negligence claim.
A negligence claim involves the negligent activity of a property owner or business owner. These cases can sometimes be difficult due to the time-sensitive nature of the evidence in some circumstances. The injured party must prove that the property owner failed to maintain reasonably safe property conditions or they created the dangerous condition. It could also be that the negligent property owners knew of the hazard and did not take precautions to warn visitors. If the at-fault party could’ve avoided a slip and fall accident but didn’t, they may have a negligence case. The investigation connected to the slip and fall claim must be very thorough and accurate.
An experienced Chicago slip and fall attorney can help you recover fair compensation for a variety of damages associated with your slip and fall case. For example, a slip and fall victim could seek compensation for the following damages:
- Past and future medical bills
- Past and future rehabilitation bills
- Lost wages
- Loss of earning capacity
- Physical pain and suffering
- Emotional anguish
- Loss of consortium
- Permanent scarring or disability
By now you know that premises liability claims can range anywhere from an injury suffered on a fairground to a slip and fall incident on a public sidewalk. But what about if the injury occurs within someone else’s home or on other private property?
If a slip and fall accident occurs on someone’s personal property, this is still a premises liability case. For example, if a mailman is delivering a package to your home and they slip and fall on an oil slick in your driveway, they can sue you for premises liability. This is because you knew (or should have known) about the risk that the oil slick posed but you didn’t take cautionary measures to prevent injuries.
Whether you received injuries in a public setting or on someone’s personal property, you still need a slip and fall lawyer to help you recover compensation for damages such as medical expenses.
It is important to remember: never speak with an insurance agent or insurance company prior to contacting a Chicago premises liability lawyer. Insurance companies often try to blame the slip and fall victim for his or her injuries.
Lawyers who handle slip and fall injury cases frequently work with investigators to establish cause, fault, and liability. If you’ve been injured on someone else’s property, speak with a slip and fall attorney who can represent your rights before speaking to any insurance agent. This ensures that your interests and rights are protected instead of negotiated.
