At Drake & Collopy, P.C., we understand that a slip and fall accident can have a devastating impact on your life. If you are the victim of this type of accident, you may suffer debilitating injuries, high medical costs, and be unable to work and earn money to support your family for an extended period of time.
However, if an accident was caused by someone else’s negligence, like the property or business owner, then you may have legal options available. You may be entitled to pursue legal action to recover compensation for your injuries and losses including all related medical costs, pain and suffering, lost income, and other damages. Our legal team is committed to helping you recover the compensation you deserve because a property owner or business owner failed to ensure their property was safe for visitors.
If you or someone you love has been injured because of a slip and fall accident, we are here to help. Contact us today to discuss the facts of your case and to get the process started.
Steps To Follow After Suffering Your Chicago Slip and Fall Accident
It is crucial to take the right steps after you are injured in a slip and fall accident. Doing so will help you protect your right to compensation for your injuries and damages. These steps include:
- Get treated by a medical professional. Do not wait to go to the emergency room or to see a doctor. Having the accident and your injuries documented right away is important.
- Gather evidence. Be sure to take detailed photos and/or video of the scene of the accident, especially of the particular condition that caused your fall, before the condition is corrected.
- Report the incident. Be sure you report the incident to the property owner or manager as soon as possible.
- Keep a journal. It is a good idea to write down everything about the accident that you can remember while it is still fresh in your mind.
- Avoid talking with the insurance company. Do not give a recorded statement to the insurance company if they contact you. Any statements you make may be used against you later.
- Avoid posting on social media. It can be detrimental to discuss your case via social media.
- Contact our legal team. Our team of attorneys will take steps right away to investigate your accident and preserve evidence in order to build a strong case.
Understanding Illinois Premises Liability Law
Slip and fall accidents are the most common type of premises liability claim. Under the law, property owners and business owners have certain obligations to ensure that their premises is in a reasonably safe condition for visitors to the premises. Visitors are classified either as “invitees” (someone visiting the property for the benefit of the property owner), “licensees” (a guest visiting the property for their own benefit), or “trespassers” (someone without permission to be on the property).
With respect to invitees and licensees, property owners owe these visitors a duty of care to ensure that the premises is in a reasonably safe condition and free of known defects or hazards. Property owners do not owe a duty of care to adult trespassers unless the owner can be shown to have engaged in willful or wanton conduct. However, the law may impose a duty on property owners with respect to child trespassers.
Under the Illinois Premises Liability Act, a plaintiff is required to prove these elements in order establish liability:
- There was a condition on the property that presented some type of unreasonable risk of harm to anyone visiting the property.
- The owner knew or should have known of the defect or hazard that posed a risk of harm to visitors.
- The owner should have anticipated that a visitor would not identify the hazard or that they would not protect themselves from it.
- The owner failed to warn or protect the victim.
- The victim suffered an injury because of the dangerous condition.
However, property owners do not have a duty to do any of the following:
- Warn or otherwise protect visitors from dangerous conditions that are open and obvious or that any visitor should be able to reasonably discover on their own;
- Warn or protect visitors of defects or dangers which the owner is not aware of and should not have been expected to be aware of;
- Warn visitors of possible dangers that may arise from the misuse of the property; or
- Protect visitors from their own misuse of the premises.
Why Hire Our Legal Team After a Chicago Slip and Fall Accident?
When you hire our legal team at Drake & Collopy, P.C., you can feel confident that our team will:
- Conduct a thorough investigation of your slip and fall accident to preserve any available evidence and build a strong case.
- Give you access to our network of physicians, specialists, and other medical providers who can provide medical treatment for your injuries.
- Retain experts from various fields as necessary to prove liability and/or the damages you suffered, including engineers, medical experts, vocational experts, economics experts, and life care planners.
- Evaluate your medical records and other relevant records to identify any issues relating to causation or the nature and extent of your injuries.
- Handle all communications and negotiations with the responsible insurance company.
- Ensure that all documents are filed properly and on time with the appropriate entities.
- Prepare and present a persuasive case in court, at arbitration, or in mediation.
- Negotiate and resolve any health care liens and other liens related to your case.
Contact Our Legal Team for Help with Your Slip and Fall Accident or Injury
If you have been injured in a slip and fall accident, our team of attorneys at Drake & Collopy, P.C. is ready to help. We understand the enormous impact a slip and fall accident can have on your life. Our experienced attorneys are dedicated to helping you recover the compensation you deserve for your injuries and losses. We are your partner in recovery and will fight aggressively on your behalf. Contact us today to discuss your case in detail so that we can get to work for you.
