If you’ve been injured in a slip and fall accident on someone else’s property, you could be entitled to compensation for your injuries. Slip and fall accidents are scary and can result in serious injuries. Many accident victims have substantial medical bills and expenses after their fall.
If a hazardous condition caused your accident, you could be entitled to compensation for all of your losses. To learn more about your rights, contact Joel E. Brown, P.C.
Our team has been fighting for Illinois accident victims for over 30 years. We know how to get results for clients and hold at-fault parties accountable. Contact a Peoria slip and fall accident lawyer at (309) 673-4357 to schedule a free consultation to discuss your case.
How Joel E. Brown, P.C. Can Help After a Slip and Fall Accident in Peoria
When you’re injured because of hazardous conditions on someone else’s property, you’re likely entitled to compensation for your losses. Yet, it can be hard to know how to get the compensation you deserve.
Even if you know how to navigate the process, insurance companies and at-fault parties are notoriously difficult to deal with. Fortunately, our team can help.
We’ve recovered millions of dollars for Illinois accident victims. We know how to hold businesses, property owners, and insurance companies accountable.
When you work with our team, we’ll:
- Investigate your case to determine the cause of your accident
- Gather evidence to help document hazardous conditions and prove who was responsible for your accident
- Identify all dangerous conditions that led to your accident
- Work with experts to develop your case
- File a claim with the at-fault party’s insurance company
- Negotiate with the at-fault party’s insurance company to ensure a fair settlement
- If necessary, file a lawsuit and represent you in court
- Complete all administrative tasks and comply with all deadlines
After an accident, you need to focus on recovering and getting your life back to normal. Let us handle your slip-and-fall case and help you get the compensation you deserve. Call us today to learn more or to schedule a free consultation with a Peoria personal injury attorney.
Where Slip and Fall Accidents Happen in Peoria
Slip and fall accidents can happen anywhere. We’ve seen them in many different places, both indoors and outdoors. Some of the most common places for slip-and-fall accidents in Peoria are:
- Restaurants
- Grocery stores
- Shopping malls and shopping centers
- Bars and nightclubs
- Office buildings
- Schools and daycares
- Hospitals
- Nursing homes
- Doctors’ offices
- Gyms
- Sports complexes
- Event centers and arenas
- Government buildings
- Parking lots and parking garages
- Parks and playgrounds
Slip-and-fall accidents can happen anywhere. If you’ve been injured in an accident, contact us to discuss your rights.
Common Causes of Slip and Fall Accidents in Peoria
Slip and fall accidents happen more frequently than most people realize. While this type of accident happens every day, the unfortunate reality is that most slip and fall accidents can be avoided.
Some of the most common causes of slip and fall accidents are:
- Slippery floors and surfaces
- Uneven or poorly maintained floors
- Spills or puddles that are not properly cleaned up
- Broken or poorly maintained stairs
- Broken handrails
- Uneven or crumbling pavement
- Obstacles or debris in walkways
- Poor lighting
- Uneven surfaces
- Ice or snow
- Loose carpeting
- Exposed electrical wires or cable
Our team is experienced with slip-and-fall accidents and knows how to identify and document all potential causes. We’ll thoroughly investigate your accident to determine what caused your accident and ensure the at-fault party is held responsible.
Schedule a free consultation to learn more.
Common Slip and Fall Injuries
Slip and fall accidents can result in serious and long-term injuries. We’ve even seen situations where slip-and-falls have led to catastrophic injury and wrongful death.
These are not accidents that should not be taken lightly. Some of the most common injuries that we see from slipping and tripping accidents are:
- Neck and back injuries
- Concussions
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Broken bones
- Nerve damage
- Joint injuries
- Complete or partial amputations
- Soft tissue injuries
If you’re involved in an accident, your priority should be seeking medical attention. If you need immediate care, call 9-1-1. If not, report your accident to the property owner and seek available on-site medical treatment.
Depending on the severity of your injuries, you should visit the emergency room, an urgent care center, or your primary care physician after leaving the accident scene. Getting prompt treatment will ensure you stay safe and improve your long-term prognosis. It will also provide important documentation for your slip and fall claim.
What Do I Have to Prove to Win My Illinois Slip and Fall Injury Case?
Slip and fall cases are a type of premise liability case. The theory behind these cases is that property owners have a duty to protect guests from hazardous conditions on their property.
Premises liability cases are a type of negligence. If the property owner failed to keep the property reasonably safe and you were injured because of this negligence, they can be held liable for your injuries.
To successfully bring a slip and fall claim in Illinois, you have to prove the following:
- Duty. The property owner owed you a duty of care to keep the property reasonably safe.
Generally, you can establish duty as long as you are not trespassing on the property. That said, the duty that a property owner owes guests and visitors varies based on the relationship between the parties.
- Breach. The owner breached that duty of care by allowing dangerous or hazardous conditions to exist. To prove this element, accident victims must show that the property owner knew or should have known about the dangerous condition and that the owner failed to fix it or adequately warn visitors of the hazard.
- Causation. You slipped and fell because of dangerous or hazardous conditions.
- Injuries. You suffered injuries or damages because of the accident.
While premises liability cases can be complicated, an experienced slip and fall lawyer knows what is necessary to successfully bring a premises liability claim in Illinois. One key to proving your case is gathering evidence.
Your lawyer will work to collect evidence to support your case. This includes:
- Photographs of the accident scene
- Videos or surveillance footage of the accident
- Accident or injury reports
- Witness statements
- Medical records
- Expert testimony
Contact a Peoria premises liability expert to learn more.
What Damages Are Available to Slip and Fall Victims?
In Illinois, accident victims are entitled to compensatory damages to reimburse them for all losses caused by the accident. The purpose of compensatory damages is to make victims whole–or as close to whole as possible–after an accident.
Injured parties can recover two types of compensatory damages: economic damages and non-economic damages. Economic damages compensate victims for tangible losses after an accident, whereas non-economic damages reimburse victims for more abstract injuries.
Some common damages available to accident victims in Illinois are:
- Medical expenses
- Future medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Lost earning capacity
- Rehabilitation and home care expenses
- Physical therapy and occupational therapy costs
- Pain and suffering
- Decreased quality of life
- Loss of consortium
- Scarring and disfigurement
Calculating and documenting damages can be a complex process. An experienced personal injury lawyer knows the damages available to victims and how to gather evidence, including expert testimony, to support their damages claim.
Can I Still Recover Compensation if the Property Owner Tries To Blame Me for My Slip And Fall?
Property owners and insurance companies often work hard to shift blame. It is common in accident cases for the responsible party to blame victims for the accident.
Illinois follows an approach of modified comparative negligence. Under this theory, accident victims can recover damages as long as they’re not more than 50% at fault for the accident.
This means you can recover damages even if you’re partly at fault, but your award will be reduced by the percentage of your fault.
For example, if you’re awarded $100,000 in damages and found to be 20% at fault, you would be entitled to recover $80,000. However, if you’re found to be 51% at fault, you are not entitled to recover anything.
Accident lawyers are experienced with insurance companies trying to blame victims and know how to defend clients in these situations. We fight hard to make sure clients get the compensation they deserve after an accident. Contact Joel E. Brown, P.C., to learn more.
How Long Do I Have to Bring a Slip and Fall Claim?
The statute of limitations for Illinois personal injury cases is two years. This means that victims have two years from the date of their accident to file a lawsuit against the property owner. If you don’t file a lawsuit before the statute of limitations expires, your case will be dismissed, and you’ll lose your right to recover.
Contact a Peoria Slip and Fall Accident Lawyer
If you’ve been injured in a slip and fall accident in Peoria, contact Joel E. Brown, P.C. Our team has been fighting for accident victims for over three decades and will work hard to ensure you get the compensation you deserve.
Call us today to schedule a free consultation, or visit our Peoria personal injury office.