Stavros Law Offices has successfully represented families in a wide variety of premises liability cases against businesses, homes and public institutions and continues to recover millions of dollars on behalf of our clients.
Illinois Premises Liability Lawyers
Serious injuries and even death often result from negligently designed or maintained premises and unsafe environments. When an owner of a property or business invites a member of the public onto his/her premises, as a guest or patron, the owner has a responsibility to keep the premise safe for use.
Premises liability refers to a situation where an individual is injured on the property or “premises” owned or maintained by someone else. The property owner or party responsible for maintaining the property may be held legally responsible, or “liable”, for that person's injuries if the injuries were the result of a dangerous condition that existed on the property.
Property owners and businesses have a duty to provide a safe environment for people on their property. If they fail to do so, and someone is injured, they may be held liable for the injured person's medical expenses, pain and suffering and lost wages.
Stavros Law Offices has successfully represented families in a wide variety of premises liability cases against private businesses, homes and public institutions, including beatings and muggings in parking lots; injuries on construction sites; accidents in common areas, and slip and fall accidents. We provide clients with exceptional and compassionate representation, and always seek to maximize the sums our clients are entitled to collect in order to achieve a full recovery from their injuries. Our Attorneys have proudly recovered millions and millions of dollars on behalf of our clients in our over 40 years of practicing premises liability cases in Illinois.
Compensation for Premises Liability Cases
Stavros Law Offices always seeks to maximize the compensation our clients receive for their premises liability injuries. Often these injuries are catastrophic and impose significant changes to the lives of the injured and their families. Our experienced Illinois premises liability attorneys work tirelessly to collect all compensation for damages available by law and vigorously defend the often fraudulent claim by insurance companies and/or property owners that our injured client was to blame for the injury.
These Recoverable Damages include:
- Punitive Damages
- Past and Future Medical Expenses
- Lost Income
- Diminished Earning Capacity
- Pain and Suffering
- Loss of Consortium
- Emotional Distress
- Wrongful Death
Types of Premises Liability Claims in Illinois
Lack or Negligent Security
When a property owner is unable able to provide adequate security, resulting in an injury to a victim by another person, they are liable for the damages of that victim. This rule also applies to situations when customers or employees are injured in a vandalism, robbery, or break-in incident, which may put a question mark on the business's security.
Slip and Fall Accidents
When someone slips and falls on another person's property due to a dangerous condition, it can be considered a premises liability case. Common situations leading to slip and fall accidents include defective staircases, broken or loose tiles, exposed wiring, wet floor without warning signage, and others.
Falling Objects
Improperly stacked items or merchandise often fall from store shelves, injuring customers beneath. Construction sites in Illinois are notorious for causing injuries from falling tools, equipment, lumber and steel, machinery and other materials.
Swimming Pool Accidents
If there is a swimming pool facility in a property, the owner must fulfill their responsibility of taking reasonable precautions to make the pool safe for everyone. Common causes of accidents related to swimming pools include lack of maintenance, lack of warning signage, lack of fencing, and negligent supervision.
Escalator and Elevator Injuries
Serious injuries can result when building owners fail to properly maintain and inspect escalators and elevators within their premises. Malls, Movie Theaters, Office Buildings, Shopping Centers, Sports Arenas, Airports and similar structures containing elevators or escalators each have a duty to regularly inspect and maintain these devices.
Dog Bites
If a dog bites or attacks a person on the dog owner's property, causing injuries, the owner will be liable to pay for the bodily injuries that the victim suffered.
Fires
If you have been caught in a fire outbreak on someone else's property, you may be able to make a premises liability claim against the owner for not taking standard precautionary measures to prevent fires. Power outlets that do not function properly, natural gas leaks, and faulty or exposed electrical wiring are some of the common causes of fires.
Exposure to Toxins
This type of premises liability cases is mostly related to industries where tenants and employees may be exposed to dangerous chemicals such as asbestos or other harmful chemicals or compounds. However, it can happen from harmful chemicals used in household products as well. Exposing occupants to lead, mold, carbon monoxide or natural gas leaks can constitute a breach of a landlords duty. Landlords must routinely inspect their premises to ensure they are safe.
What to do if you are injured
If you injured while away from your home, there are several things you can do to ensure you are able to recover both physically and financially from your injuries. It is important to seek immediate medical treatment for your injuries and to call emergency responders at 911, as you might not be aware of how badly you are injured immediately after sustaining an injury. Take pictures, to the extent that you are able, of the physical injuries and the location where the injury took place. It is critically important to start an investigation into the cause of the injury as soon as possible. This investigation includes taking various pictures, taking measurements, recovering surveillance video (before the property owner can destroy it), interviewing witnesses and taking sworn statements, hiring experts to review the evidence and determine the proximate cause of the injury.
Due to the serious nature of premise liability injuries, it is not always possible nor reasonable to expect an injured party to conduct an investigation into the injury and determine potential liability. Therefore, an injured party should contact an experienced premise liability attorney immediately. Once retained, Illinois premises liability attorneys at Stavros Law Offices will act quickly on your behalf to ensure an investigation into the injury is conducted expertly; we will ensure that our client is receiving proper treatment with qualified medical specialists, and ensure that our client receives the maximum financial compensation for their injuries.
From keeping you informed with the progress of our investigation and the status of your case, to identifying and calculating damages and maximizing your compensation, our attorneys will compassionately work with you every step of the way. The Illinois premise liability attorneys at Stavros Law Offices will vigorously defend you from claims of contributory negligence or other wrongdoing, which property owners and insurance companies frequently allege in an attempt to limit their own liability- we won't stand for it.