In a premises liability case, you allege a dangerous condition on someone else’s property caused you harm. You blame the property owner or manager because they either knew or should have known about the hazard. The owner or manager should have repaired the condition or warned you about it. But they didn’t. This negligence makes them liable for your injuries.
To learn more about proving a premises liability claim in Illinois, contact Staver Accident Injury Lawyers, P.C. at (312) 236-2900. You also can reach out through our online form to schedule a free initial consultation.
Premises Liability Can Arise Anywhere
It’s essential that you know premises liability cases can come up anywhere you could get hurt. You can get hurt on public or private property or residential or commercial property. You might know the property owners or have no idea who owns or controls the property. Whatever the situation, you should contact an experienced lawyer as soon as possible.
Types of Chicago Premises Liability Cases
Injuries from Hidden Defects
Most premises liability cases arise because a dangerous condition wasn’t visible or easy to see. For example, a stair might look sturdy until you put your full weight on it, and it breaks. It’s a property owner’s responsibility to look out for hidden defects on their property that could hurt their guests or customers. Call us right away if you believe the property owner failed to act reasonably in finding and repairing hazards on their premises.
Injuries on Private Property
If you were injured in private property owned by a person or business, talk with a lawyer about how you can prove the owner was negligent and recover compensation. If you were injured on residential property, whether in a home, in a yard, or on a sidewalk, you might be able to win a settlement from the homeowner’s insurance policy.
Injuries on Business Property
Many premises liability claims arise from accidents on a business’s property. Talk with a lawyer right away about proving the business’s conduct wasn’t reasonable. Your attorney will thoroughly evaluate the business’s inspection, maintenance, and supervision procedures, as well as any history of accidents on the property.
Injuries on Government Property
If you were injured on property owned by a city, township, county, or the state, call a lawyer immediately. You have a limited time frame to start a claim against a government entity.
Serious Injuries on Worksites
If you’re injured in a worksite accident because of a dangerous condition, let our attorneys analyze your rights under premises liability and workers’ compensation law. As an employee, you can pursue workers’ comp benefits. If you’re an independent contractor or visitor to the site, you can file a lawsuit against the property owner.
Injuries at Places of Recreation
There are a lot of places you can go for physical recreation, including parks, golf courses, bike paths, gymnasiums, rock climbing gyms, trampoline parks, roller skating rinks, paintball, laser tag, ax throwing, and archery ranges. The owners and property managers of all these recreation facilities have a responsibility to keep them safe for people who pay to enjoy the equipment and activities. If you’re hurt because one of these places wasn’t as safe as it should be, call a lawyer right away.
Injuries in Apartments
Were you injured in someone’s apartment or elsewhere in an apartment complex? You might not want to make a fuss with the friend or family member who rents the apartment. But we recommend calling a lawyer. If you were injured by a dangerous condition the landlord is responsible for, you have a claim against the individual or corporate property owner.
Injuries at Daycares
If your child was injured at a daycare, call our premises liability attorneys immediately. The owners and daycare workers owe it to the children to make sure everything about the environment is child-friendly and hazard-free. If your son or daughter was injured by a condition that shouldn’t have existed in a childcare facility, then you might have a claim for compensation.
Did Your Child Get Hurt on Someone Else’s Property?
Even if your child was a trespasser on property, you may have a premises liability claim. Illinois law handles child trespassers differently than adult trespassers. An adult knows better than to go on another person’s property without permission. But young children don’t have the same knowledge or reasoning skills. They are often attracted to a property because they can play on it. This is where the doctrine of attractive nuisance comes in.
In Illinois, property owners have to consider the likelihood of children coming on their property, whether any condition on the property poses a risk to children, and the cost of repairing that danger compared to the risk. If fixing the hazard wouldn’t be expensive or inconvenient and would greatly reduce the risk of a child getting hurt, then it’s the owner’s responsibility to remedy the dangerous condition.
Injuries Because of Defective Structures
Property owners are responsible for maintaining any structures on their premises or taking steps to keep people away from them. Structures could be large or small buildings, sheds, garages, playgrounds, gazebos, or bridges. Talk with a lawyer if you were injured because of a defective and dangerous structure.
Injuries Because of Defective Floors and Stairways
One of the most common reasons people get hurt on a property is because of flooring in poor repair that creates a hazard. We’ve handled cases involving loose and cracked tiles, loose and ripped carpet, missing floorboards, missing or broken stairs, stairways that are too steep or poorly lit, stairs with uneven treads, and wet and slick floors.
Injuries Because of Defective Elevators and Escalators
Getting around apartment buildings, condos, and businesses generally require using elevators and escalators. Building owners and management must keep these features in good working repair. If something goes wrong, the outcome can be devastating.
Injuries from Falling Objects
If a property owner keeps items higher than the average person’s height, then those items need to be secure. There’s no excuse for an object falling on a worker, guest, or customer. Falling objects also are a big issue on worksites.
Injuries in Outdoor Environments
You might love the great outdoors, but some environments pose more dangers than others. If you visit an outdoor recreational facility or area, it should be well-maintained for visitors. But what’s reasonably safe for a campground or off-roading area isn’t the same as for an indoor gymnasium. It’s important to talk with a lawyer about whether you have a strong claim for compensation.
Injuries from Carbon Monoxide
As of January 2007, Illinois requires all residential and commercial building owners to install carbon monoxide detectors within 15 ft of any rooms used for sleeping. If you or a loved one suffered from carbon monoxide poisoning because a home, apartment, hotel, or hostel didn’t have a working detector, call us right away.
Injuries from Food Poisoning
What do you do when you go to a restaurant, café, or bar? You eat and drink. One of the ways you can get hurt on these premises is by ingesting food that’s been contaminated. If you suffered a severe case of food poisoning, talk with us about holding the property owner liable.
Injuries from Negligent Security and Crimes
A property owner can’t predict when a crime will occur. But they can know the crimes that go on around their properties and at what rate. Property owners should be informed of the risks that guests, customers, clients, or tenants face and do something to reduce that risk. This might include installing fencing, locked gates and doors, surveillance cameras, and hiring security personnel.
Injuries at Pools
Pools are a great way to escape the Illinois summer heat. But they come with risks. Whether you visit a public pool, enjoy a private club’s facilities or lounge in a friend or family member’s backyard pool, it should be safe. If you were injured or lost a loved one in a drowning, talk with one of our premises liability attorneys about holding the pool owner responsible.
Injuries from Slips and Falls
One of the most common premises liability claims on all types of properties is a slip and fall. All types of hazards can cause someone to fall and get hurt, whether you fall to the ground and break an arm trying to catch yourself or fall from a significant height because of a loose railing. Talk with a lawyer after taking a serious fall on someone else’s property.
Injures from Snow and Ice
In Illinois, property owners aren’t required to remove natural accumulations of snow and ice. To recover compensation for falling on snow or ice, you have to show there was an unnatural accumulation of the hazard that created an unreasonable risk of harm. Talk with a lawyer about whether your fall creates a premises liability case.
Talk with Our Illinois Premises Liability Lawyers
Our team at Staver Accident Injury Lawyers, P.C., handles all types of premises liability cases. We know Illinois premises liability law backward and forward. We’re here to investigate your case, analyze the evidence, and advise you on the strength of your claim.
If you have a valid claim against a property owner, our goal will be to win you the maximum compensation possible for your injuries. To learn more, use our online form or call (312) 236-2900 to schedule a free consultation.
