• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
firms logo
Yo hablo español Serving Chicagoland Located in Elgin, IL(630) 250-8813
  • Home
  • Areas We Can Help
    • Personal Injury help in Elgin
      • Car Accident Cases in Illinois
      • Pedestrian Accidents
      • Bicycle Accidents
      • Slip & Fall/Premises Liability
      • Food Poisoning
      • Motorcycle Accidents
      • Wrongful Death
      • Uber & Lyft Accidents
      • Dog Bites & Animal Attacks
      • Trucking Accidents
    • Lawyer Referrals
  • Meet The Attorney
  • Client Reviews
  • FAQs
  • Free Offers
  • Blog
  • Locations
    • Elgin, IL Office
    • Schaumburg, IL Office
  • English
    • Español

What Is A Chicago Slip And Fall Case? How To Know If You Have One…

Slip and falls accidents are not rare but you need to be informed of your rights.

What is a Slip and Fall Case?

Slip and Fall claims are pretty much what they sound like- someone either slips or falls down on someone else’s property, gets hurt, and takes legal action. Slip and Fall cases are a type of what is called a premises liability case, which means being hurt on someone else’s property. They are quite common, unfortunately. In order to succeed in a slip and fall case, you need to prove four things:

A duty of care that was breached.

Property owners must keep their place in a reasonably safe condition so that other people do not get hurt. If they were careless and kept their property in an unsafe condition, they may be responsible if somebody gets hurt. The person who was injured must have had a right to be there- by invitation or because they were in a public place. This is why burglars cannot sue if they get hurt after breaking into someone’s house. The same rule applies to trespassers.

Notice.

Did the property owner of someone who worked there know that the unsafe condition existed? If they did not know, should they have known? There are time factors built into this requirement, too. For instance, if a person breaks a glass and at that same moment someone else falls on to it, there may not have been enough time for an employee to be notified and clean up the glass. On the other hand, if a patron vomits at the entryway to a store and it sits there for an hour just waiting for someone else to walk in and slip on it, that is carelessness on the part of the property owner or their employees.

Injury.

Just because somebody falls down someplace, even when there was clearly something wrong with the property, does not mean that they ‘have a case’. Hopefully, no one got hurt. But in order to bring a claim against the property owner, there needs to be an injury present with medical treatment and so forth. You cannot hold a property owner responsible based on principle or because you are angry or embarrassed that you fell.

Causation.

The injury that you suffered has to be the result of the defect or dangerous condition. A floor may have been in bad need of repairs but if you got hurt because your shoelace came untied and caused you to trip, then the property owner is not responsible.

What should I do if I fall down or slip at a place of business?

As with any accident or injury, your physical well being is number one. Do not be embarrassed, you shouldn’t be. Falls can happen to anyone. If you need help, ask for it. If you need medical care, get it. Report the injury to the business owner or their employees as soon as it happens, but do not allow yourself to be interrogated. If you are dizzy or otherwise unwell, this is probably not the time to answer a lot of questions. Provide your contact information and accept offers of physical assistance at the scene, but do not start to place blame, get upset, or go into too many details about what happened. If you feel up to it, collect the names and phone numbers of anyone who might have seen what happened or give them your information to get in touch. If somebody was with you, maybe that person helped to get contact information for witnesses.

If you fell down and believe that it was the fault of the property owner, or maybe aren’t sure, give us a call and we can help you determine if your injury might be worth pursuing against the property owner. The insurance company or perhaps the property owner themself will be in a very big hurry to talk to you, to protect themselves. Do not speak to them, do not sign anything, and do not make any decisions until you have had a chance to speak to an attorney and get checked out by your doctor. Call us at 630 250-8813 before you are caught off guard.

Primary Sidebar

Practice Areas

  • Personal Injury help in Elgin
    • Car Accident Cases in Illinois
    • Pedestrian Accidents
    • Bicycle Accidents
    • Slip & Fall/Premises Liability
    • Wrongful Death
    • Food Poisoning
    • Dog Bites and Animal Attacks
    • Motorcycle Accidents
    • Truck Accidents

NEWSLETTER SIGNUP

Get Help Now

    I understand that the above is not a request
    for legal advice, nor does filling out the form constitute an attorney client
    relationship with O'Connor Cadiz Accident and Injury Law. Merely filling out the form and/or
    receiving a reply does not mean that you are hiring me or that I agree to be your
    lawyer. Time Sensitive Information should not be sent.


    By checking this box, you agree to receive SMS text messages from O’Connor Cadiz Accident and Injury law. Reply STOP to opt out at any time. Reply HELP for Customer Care Contact Information. Messages and data rates may apply. Message frequency will vary. Privacy: We respect your privacy and will handle your information in accordance with our Privacy Policy. For more details, please review our full Privacy Policy

    For any questions or concerns about our SMS program, please contact us at O’Connor Cadiz Accident and Injury Law

     

    Footer

    Contact Us

    Elgin Office
    217 N. McLean Blvd. Unit 2C
    Elgin, IL 60123
    Tel: (630) 250-8813
    Driving Directions

    Schaumburg Office
    105 S. Roselle Rd. Suite 207
    Schaumburg, IL 60193
    Tel:847 631-6125
    Driving Directions

     

    Useful Links

    NEWSLETTER SIGNUP

    Cases We Handle

    • Personal Injury help in Elgin
      • Car Accident Cases in Illinois
      • Pedestrian Accidents
      • Bicycle Accidents
      • Slip & Fall/Premises Liability
      • Wrongful Death
      • Food Poisoning
      • Dog Bites and Animal Attacks
      • Motorcycle Accidents
      • Truck Accidents
    All legal information provided is general and should not be relied on as legal advice, which may be given only after full consideration of all relevant information about the site visitor’s individual situation. Further, a lawyer-client relationship is not created through this website nor should a visitor to this website expect those privileges that arise through an attorney-client relationship including but not limited to confidentiality or advice. Nor should exist, the expectation that the website visit will prevent the law firm or lawyer from representing an adverse party. | Copyright © 2024 | All rights reserved | Disclaimer | Sitemap | Privacy Policy