Chicago Property and Premises Liability Lawyer

Owners and managers of properties are responsible to a large degree for the safety of people who visit, live or work on those premises. After an accidental injury occurring in a shopping mall, an office building, a manufacturing plant, a swimming pool or any place that proves to be dangerous, contact an experienced premises liability attorney at the Chicago Law firm of Taxman, Pollock, Murray & Bekkerman, LLC. We advocate zealously and effectively on behalf of people injured through negligence of others. Contact us to schedule a free consultation. Examples of the types of premises liability cases that we have handled or are well prepared to handle are:

• Broken bones resulting from falls on private or public property
• Falls and injuries suffered from cracked, broken and/or poorly maintained walkways and entryways
• Injuries caused by the failure to provide a safe means of entering or exiting a property
• Injuries caused by the failure to provide a safe means of entering or exiting a property
• Sexual assault in public or private areas due to failures in security
• Violent attacks in parking lots, parking garages and other public service areas with inadequate security or lighting
• Injuries caused by slip-and-fall accidents on staircases
• Injuries triggered by improper railings on stairs
• Slip-and-fall accidents caused by lack of weather mats
• Trip-and-fall accidents involving loose tiles or carpeting

Types of Compensation Available for a Premises Liability Claim

Any person who sustains an injury caused by the careless or negligent actions of a property owner in the Chicago area should be able to recover compensation for their losses. This is true regardless of what type of property (private residence, business, government, etc.). Our attorneys work diligently to recover both economic and non-economic compensation on behalf of our clients:

• Economic compensation. The economic losses a person sustains as a result of a premise liability claim are also referred to as calculable expenses. This means that we usually do not have a problem calculating the following types of losses because we can gather bills and receipts associated with the expenses:
  • Emergency medical expenses caused by the injury
  • All follow-up hospital and medical expenses
  • Rehabilitation or physical therapy expenses
  • Surgical costs
  • Prescription medication costs
  • Last wages
  • Out-of-pocket losses
  • Property damage expenses
• Non-economic compensation. These types of losses are harder to quantify because there may not be bills or receipts that can be added up to adequately calculate a person’s:
  • Physical pain and suffering damages
  • Emotional or psychological trauma
  • Loss of quality of life

Both Economic and non-economic damages are crucial in these situations. An individual needs to receive compensation to make them “whole” after they sustain an injury caused by the negligence of a property owner.

Four Elements of a Premises Liability Case

In order to ensure the success of a premises liability claim, it will be crucial to establish the four elements of negligence. These four elements must be present in all types of personal injury claims taken to court:

• Duty. It must first be established that the property owner owed a duty of care to the injury victim. In general, all property owners who allow individuals onto their property owe a duty of care to others. This means that they must regularly inspect and maintain their premises for any hazards and take steps to remedy any dangerous situation. If a person had a right to be on the property where the injury occurred, then it is likely that the property owner owed a duty of care to them.
• Breach. It must then be established that the property owner somehow breached their duty of care. There are various ways that property owners can breach their duty of care to those who have a right to be there. For example, something as simple as failing to put up a “wet floor” sign after mopping or waxing could be a breach of duty. Failing to adequately maintain elevators, stairs, or escalators, or any other part of the building is also a breach of duty of care.
• Causation. After establishing that a breach of duty occurred, it must be shown that the breach directly caused the plaintiff’s injuries. For example, if a person sustained an injury as a result of their own horseplaying as opposed to the breach of duty on the part of the property owner, there may not be enough to show causation, even if the property owner allowed a hazardous condition to arise on the property. However, if a person slips on a spilled jar of vinegar that the store employees knew about but failed to clean up, this may be enough to show causation.
• Damages. Finally, it must be shown that the plaintiff sustained some sort of monetary loss as a result of the breach of duty and their injuries. This can include medical bills, lost income, property damage expenses, pain and suffering damages, and more.

Contact Our Chicago Premises Liability Attorneys Today

Call or e-mail us to schedule a preliminary case review after a serious accident on dangerous premises.

If you have suffered serious injury as the result of a hazardous condition or situation on property, the Chicago, IL attorneys at Taxman, Pollock, Murray & Bekkerman, LLC, can help you make informed decisions about your legal rights. As our client, we are proud of the fact that a team of legal professionals and investigators who are dedicated to your cause will back you. Please call us today at 312-586-1700 or contact us via email for a free, no-obligation consultation.