Slip and fall injuries are serious and can have lasting personal and financial consequences for victims. However, many slip and fall injury victims do not pursue their claim because they are unsure of the laws that allow them to recover compensation.
If a property owner failed in meeting their duty of care to you as a guest, thereby causing your slip and fall, you could recover compensation. Slip and falls can lead to serious injuries like fractures, brain injuries, and spinal damage, so obtaining this compensation where available can be vital to a victim’s comfortable rehabilitation. But this process must be started by filing a formal claim before the statute of limitations expires.
To get immediate, diligent, and resourceful counsel about your potential case, reach out to the Chicago slip and fall attorneys at Rhatigan Law Offices today and get your first case assessment free of charge. Call to learn more at (312) 578-8502.
Common Slip and Fall Injuries in Chicago
In any slip and fall, any number of injuries could occur, depending on the circumstances of the accident and the force of the fall. Further, these injuries may affect the victim in a variety of ways. Below are just a few of the most common types of slip and fall injuries for which victims may recover through slip and fall lawsuit in Chicago.
Broken Bones
When forceful impact causes stress on the bone, it may fracture. There are a number of different types of fractures that can occur. Generally, older people are more susceptible to broken bones as a result of falls. In particular, hip fractures are common in slip and falls and can force a victim to be immobile during their recovery or even require surgery to repair the damage.
Soft Tissue Injuries
Soft tissue injuries may include sprains and tears of the tendons and ligaments in your extremities, which are particularly common in slip and fall cases. Soft tissue injuries are not always apparent immediately after a fall and can worsen over time if they are not treated. These types of injuries also make the victim more susceptible to reaggravating their injury in the future.
Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs)
TBIs result from the forceful jostling of the brain within the skull, causing bruising, swelling, or bleeding. This can affect a person’s brain function, so it is critical that these injuries are identified and treated as soon as possible. Concussions are a form of mild TBI that is particularly common. Striking your head against the ground or an object while falling could leave you with a serious head injury even if it does not rise to the level of a full-blown TBI. Keep an eye out for common symptoms, such as nausea, sensitivity to light, slurred speech, irritability, and dizziness.
Neck and Spine Injuries
The neck, back, and spine are all crucial parts of a person’s daily ability to function. Damage to the muscles in the neck and back can leave a person in chronic pain that can prevent them from performing even the most basic tasks. Additionally, the spinal cord houses vital nerves and, if damaged, can mean serious consequences for the victim that may even include paralysis.
Knee Injuries
The knee is comprised of delicate ligaments like the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and the medial collateral ligament (MCL). Anyone who follows competitive sports knows that injuries involving these areas can require extensive rehabilitation and even surgery. The most common cause of these injuries is not direct contact to the knee, but rather a sudden slip caused by unstable footing that places sudden heavy pressure on the ligaments.
Liability for a Slip and Fall Accident in Chicago
Whenever a person slips and falls while on some other person or entity’s property, it is important that you discuss your case with a Chicago slip and fall lawyer. This is because property owners and other associated parties owe their guests a duty of care to prevent these types of harms.
What the law requires of Chicago property owners to satisfy this duty depends on why the guest was on their property in the first place. Specifically, guests are separated into two categories: invitees and licensees.
An invitee is someone that has been invited onto the property for a business purpose. Someone who goes to a retail store, or a sporting event would be considered an invitee. Property owners owe a duty to take reasonably prudent steps to discover and cure any hazards that might cause harm to an invitee.
Conversely, licensees do not have a business-related purpose to their visit. The classic example of a licensee is a dinner party guest. Property owners are not necessarily duty-bound to fix any hazards that might exist for licensees, but they are responsible for at least warning the licensee of the existence of the danger.
How these duties are interpreted in different contexts and situations is complicated, so you should always work with a Chicago slip and fall attorney to help you determine whether the other party breached their duty to you and caused your accident.
Statute of Limitations for a Slip and Fall Accident in Chicago
To recover for any slip and fall that occurs in Chicago, you will have to file your claim in court before the state’s statute of limitations expires. Under Illinois law, the applicable window for slip and fall injury lawsuits lasts for two years from the date on which the accident occurred. Courts take this deadline seriously, so it is crucial that you contact a Chicago slip and fall lawyer as soon as possible after you have received medical treatment for your injuries.
Talk to Rhatigan Law Offices About Your Slip and Fall Injury for Free
Right now, when you call Rhatigan Law Offices at (312) 578-8502, you can obtain a free initial case assessment to help you pursue the compensation that you deserve.
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