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Falls can result in severe injuries that could mean overwhelming medical expenses as well as a significant decrease in your quality of life. If you’ve suffered a slip and fall injury because of another party’s negligence, one of the options you have is to contact a personal injury lawyer.

With the right representation, you can pursue compensation and cover the losses you sustained. It’s not always simple to know what these claims can involve and what a slip and fall attorney can actually help you with. Learn more about premises liability cases and the duty of care that property owners may owe you.

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Trip and fall on floor mat

Understanding Your Rights After a Slip and Fall Accident

Property owners or managers owe visitors and others who are legally on their property a duty to maintain safe premises. Visitors to properties are divided into three main categories: invitees, licensees, and trespassers. 

Invitees are people who were invited onto the property, while licensees might not have been expressly invited but have a right to be on the premises. Mailmen or delivery people fit into this category. Trespassers, on the other hand, are not on the property legally, and owners don’t typically owe them a high degree of responsibility. 

If you were either a licensee or invitee, and you sustained an injury, can you file a slip and fall lawsuit? The answer will depend on whether negligence was involved. This means demonstrating that the property owner or manager did not take reasonable care in ensuring that the premises were safe. 

Reasonable care typically means that the owner took steps to fix or warn of dangers that were obvious, as well as those that were concealed but could still have caused harm to visitors. Establishing the meaning of reasonable care is one of the first challenges and something that your Chicago slip and fall attorney can assist with.

How Our Chicago Premises Liability Attorneys Can Help

The slip and fall lawyers at Hart McLaughlin & Eldridge will begin by assessing your claim to ensure that you have a viable case. This can save everyone time and effort. If we believe that negligence caused your injuries, we’ll investigate the accident to gather pertinent evidence. 

Our slip and fall accident lawyers will speak with witnesses, collect your medical records,assess the property, and look for any camera footage that shows how your accident occurred. 

When dealing with accidents that occur at construction sites, warehouses, or other workplaces, or those that involve product liability issues, we may rely on expert witnesses to provide insight into how a fall could cause your losses. All of this evidence will help us put together a robust case that demonstrates negligence occurred. 

Another of the essential tasks that a slip and fall lawyer performs is negotiating with insurance companies. Insurers will do everything they can to place the blame on you so that they don’t have to pay you. At the very least, they will attempt to minimize your injuries. 

If you are partly responsible for the fall, you may still be able to receive compensation. That’s because Illinois has modified comparative negligence laws. 

As long as you’re not more than 50% to blame for your injuries, you can recover losses. Your slip and fall injury attorney will do everything possible to prevent more blame from being placed on you than you deserve. 

In instances when reaching a settlement isn’t possible, your lawyer can consult with you, and you can both decide on whether to pursue a lawsuit. Litigation takes longer, but some cases leave you with no other option.

Damages Available After a Slip and Fall Accident in Chicago

You have the opportunity to recover economic and non-economic damages when you file a claim after a slip and fall accident. Economic damages cover your medical expenses, including any future care that you’ll require if you have long-term injuries. 

It’s common for people to miss out on days or even weeks of work when they’re dealing with injuries. That means losing wages that you would have otherwise made. Economic damages cover these losses. Additionally, you may be able to receive compensation for loss of earning potential if you have trouble returning to your regular job. 

Non-economic damages address losses that aren’t financial in nature. These include compensation for the emotional and physical distress you underwent because of the accident. If you can’t enjoy your life as you used to, you can also receive coverage for loss of enjoyment of life. 

If a loved one dies from their slip and fall accident, you can claim loss of consortium, too. It compensates you for the loss of support and companionship you have suffered. You may also be eligible to bring what is called a “survival claim” for the pain and suffering your loved one experienced before they passed.

FAQ

Are There Time Limits When Filing a Slip and Fall Case?

Yes. You have to abide by the statute of limitations. In Illinois, you generally have two years from the date you suffered the injury, though there may be exceptions. If, for example, you fell in a government building, you will have significantly less time to file your claim.

Is It a Good Idea to Have a Lawyer for Slip and Fall Accidents?

These cases are highly complex, and you shouldn’t pursue them on your own. It’s best to have a lawyer on your side to advise you.

How Much Will a Slip and Fall Accident Lawyer Charge in Chicago?

Because slip and fall attorneys work in personal injury law, they don’t charge upfront fees. Instead, they receive a percentage of your winnings. The exact amount will depend on the case’s complexity and whether it goes to trial.

Our Premises Liability Attorneys

Trust Our Experienced Premises Liability Attorneys

If you have suffered injuries in a fall that occurred because of negligence, hiring a slip and fall law firm can help you recover your losses. At Hart McLaughlin & Eldridge, we provide the support you need to navigate the personal injury process and fight for fair compensation. Contact us to schedule a free consultation.