The Illinois Hammer
Chicago Premises Liability Lawyer
If you were hurt on someone else’s property in Chicago because of their negligence, you might be eligible to bring a premises liability claim against them for their role in causing your injuries.
$100 MILLION recovered for premises liability
Content Reviewed by: Bradley Dworkin
Last Date Modified
An experienced Chicago premises liability lawyer from The Illinois Hammer Injury Attorneys can pursue a claim and fight for the compensation you deserve. Contact us online or call 888-742-6637 today for a free legal consultation.
Why Should You Trust Our Chicago Premises Liability Lawyers For Your Case?
The Illinois Hammer Injury Attorneys have been hitting insurance companies hard for over 30 years, winning 97 percent of our personal injury cases. Our skilled Chicago premises liability attorneys handle every step of the legal process for our clients, and we don’t get paid unless we win.
We pride ourselves on providing holistic representation for our clients and giving them less to worry about. If you need medical care, we can help you find a doctor and get treatment. If you’ve lost wages or need emergency funding for injury-related expenses, we can help you secure a loan within 24 hours. We also visit our clients at the hospital or in their homes, eliminating the need to travel.
We care about injury victims and want to give them a fair chance against insurance companies. We’ve won over $500 million in personal injury settlements and verdicts, including $100 million for premises liability cases alone. Our track record for impressive results includes a $250,000 premises liability settlement won by Managing Partner David Rabinowitz for a client injured in an elevator accident.
“Many of our clients suffer life-changing injuries and have no idea how to ensure that they get the medical treatment that they need and the compensation that they deserve. As attorneys, we have a unique opportunity to guide others through physically, emotionally, and financially difficult times of their lives. Seeing the positive impact that our work has on our client’s lives is what I enjoy about working in injury law.”
Premises Liability Settlements We’ve Won
Who Is Liable For My Injury In a Premises Liability Case in Chicago?
Under Illinois law, the owner of a property is responsible for keeping it safe. They must take reasonable steps to prevent injuries sustained on the premises, meaning they must address hazards or warn those lawfully on the property about them.
Generally, the party responsible is the one who currently occupies and controls access to the premises. Parties potentially responsible for keeping a property safe include property owners, business owners, landlords, lessees, government agencies, and more.
An accident victim can successfully pursue a premises liability claim by showing that the party in control of the property was negligent and caused their accident and injuries. For example, if a seating section at Wrigley Field collapses, the Chicago Cubs organization would be liable for any resulting injuries.
If someone is injured stepping off an unlevel elevator, the maintenance company responsible for servicing it might be liable for negligence. However, the owner of the property containing the elevator is ultimately responsible for its condition and would also be liable.
What Damages Can Our Chicago Premises Liability Attorneys Recover?
The compensation recoverable in a premises liability case varies greatly and depends on numerous factors, including the nature and severity of your injuries, the impacts on your life, the extent of the defendant’s fault, and the strength of your case. You can pursue compensation for your economic damages, which cover losses with a specific monetary value, and non-economic damages, which cover the more subjective impacts on your life.
Economic damages include the following:
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Lost earning potential if your injuries result in a disability
Non-economic damages include the following:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Loss of enjoyment of life activities
In rare cases, you might also be entitled to punitive damages, which are awarded when there is clear and convincing evidence that the defendants acted with an “evil motive or with a reckless and outrageous indifference to a highly unreasonable risk of harm.” Punitive damages aim to punish the defendant and deter future misconduct.
Types Of Premises Liability Cases We Handle
Property owners are responsible for ensuring their premises are safe and free from hazards to those lawfully on their properties. Property owners have a duty to act with the level of care a reasonable person would in similar circumstances to keep their premises safe. If you are injured on someone else’s property because of the property owner’s negligence, you might have grounds to pursue a premises liability claim.
We take on a full range of premises liability cases, including the following:
- Slip and fall accidents
- Wrongful death and negligent security claims
- Dog bite incidents
- Drowning accidents
- Unsafe buildings, including stair collapses, falling objects, and faulty elevators
- Work injuries, including construction accidents
If you’re unsure whether you have a claim, don’t hesitate to call 888-742-6637 for a free consultation.
How Can You Prove a Premises Liability Case in Chicago?
To successfully prove a premises liability claim and recover compensation, you must establish the following key elements:
- You were lawfully on the property.
- The responsible party owed you a duty of care to keep the property free from hazards.
- The responsible party knew or reasonably should have known about the hazard and failed to address it.
- You suffered an injury because of the hazard.
- Your injuries resulted in losses, such as medical bills, lost wages, or pain and suffering.
The first key step to proving your case is seeking medical attention immediately and continuing with your treatment. Doing so will create documentary evidence crucial to establishing the details of your injury.
If you think you might have a premises liability claim, save all documentation related to your treatment, such as medical bills and incident reports. Gather any photos or videos showing the accident and the hazardous condition, and have anyone who witnessed it record a statement.
Once you’ve documented your injuries, you must gather evidence establishing that the owner knew or should have known about a dangerous condition on their property and failed to fix it or warn visitors.
Different types of premises liability claims can require slightly different types of evidence. If you’re unsure what you’ll need to prove your claim, our Chicago premises liability lawyers can help you identify and gather the evidence necessary to win the compensation you deserve.
Chicago Premises Liability Frequently Asked Questions
The following are some questions we commonly receive from potential clients about premises liability claims.
How Much Time Do I Have To File a Premises Liability Lawsuit in Chicago?
The Illinois statute of limitations for personal injury cases requires victims to file suit within two years of the accident. There are some exceptions to this deadline, including cases where an injury isn’t immediately apparent. In that case, the deadline is within two years of discovering the injury.
For injured minors, the deadline doesn’t kick in until the victim’s 18th birthday, after which they will have two years to file a suit. If the victim has a temporary legal disability, the time limit is delayed until they sufficiently recover.
What Happens If I Was Partially at Fault For My Accident?
Illinois uses a “modified comparative negligence” system that allows you to recover compensation even if you are partially at fault for the accident. Accident victims can only recover damages if they are not more than 50 percent responsible for the accident. However, any potential recovery will be reduced relative to the degree of blame the victim shares.
Before pursuing a lawsuit, it’s critical to talk with an experienced Chicago premises liability attorney to determine whether your claim is viable under this standard. A knowledgeable and skilled lawyer can advocate for you and refute any allegations that you bear the majority of the blame for the accident.
Can I Sue If I Was Injured at a Friend or Family’s Property?
Suffering an injury at the home of a friend or family member can feel like a no-win situation. Should you endure potentially crippling medical bills or risk irreparably damaging your relationship with a loved one by filing a premises liability claim?
Luckily, you don’t have to choose between your financial stability and your relationship with your loved ones. Your premises liability claim will be against your friend or family member’s insurance company and will only involve them directly if it escalates to a lawsuit. Our Chicago premises liability attorneys can help you navigate these tricky situations, getting you the compensation you need while preserving your relationships.
Mighty Hammer, Powerful Results! Call Us For Your Free Case Consultation
If you’ve been injured in an accident caused by a property owner’s negligence, our Chicago premises liability lawyers are ready to fight for you.
Contact us online or call 888-742-6637 today for a free legal consultation. We’ll hammer the insurance companies until they pay for the settlement you deserve—and you won’t owe us anything unless we win.
Free Legal Consultation
"*" indicates required fields
Related Pages
Our Office
134 North LaSalle Street
Suite 650
Chicago, IL 60602
Testimonials
