ORLAND PARK SLIP AND FALL LAWYER

Michael J. Brennan Injury & Accident Lawyer stands up for slip-and-fall accident victims in Orland Park. We stand up to business owners and corporations to demand full compensation for our clients to make sure they have everything they need during injury recovery. We offer a free and confidential case consultation to all Cook County victims. Contact us today to schedule a no-obligation appointment with a real lawyer.

Do I Need a Lawyer After a Slip-And-Fall at an Orland Park Business?

If you take a fall on someone’s property and you only suffer some soreness and bruising, you may not need a lawyer for your case. But when injuries are more serious and a store owner or a property owner contributed to your accident, having a lawyer can make a big difference in the support you receive.

When something like a hip fracture or a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is involved, medical bills and physical therapy fees will escalate. This triggers a negative response from the at-fault party’s insurance provider. Insurance adjusters looking to avoid having to pay out fair compensation will try to find ways to blame you for your accident or downplay your injury. This allows them to get away with providing less than you need to recover.

Your lawyer is a protective shield against this kind of underhanded treatment. Your lawyer fully investigates the circumstances surrounding your case and then uses the evidence collected to force an insurance company to offer you the most possible for your injury.

Who Is Responsible for Slip-And-Falls at Orland Park Stores and Apartment Complexes?

Indiana’s premises liability laws demand that property owners and operators show their visitors, customers, clients, and tenants a legal “duty of care.” They must monitor their stores and businesses for hazards their own actions may have created and the obstacles other visitors may have left behind.

State law requires that their premises be inspected for hazards like a puddle of water or a damaged stairwell regularly. Once a danger appears, property owners and corporate owners have a reasonable amount of time to repair or clean up the hazard. When they fail in this duty and victims slip on a slick spot or fall down a set of stairs, victims are empowered to seek help in paying for their recovery.

A landlord’s or a business owner’s commercial liability insurance is called upon to provide support for a victim’s injury. Unfortunately, insurance adjusters are paid to try to limit the support patients receive. This could leave victims short on the money they need to pay every medical bill.

When you are hurt at a store chain, like Walmart, corporate lawyers may also be called in to get their employers out of taking the blame. Your Orland Park premises liability lawyer is your shield when adjusters and corporate attorneys begin to pick apart your case.

Common Slip-and-Fall and Trip-And-Fall Hazards

As Orland Park families make grocery runs or simply walk across their apartment complexes they are exposed to a lot of slip-and-fall hazards they may never notice.

They pop up in heavy foot traffic areas more often than you’d expect. A pothole in a parking lot at a restaurant might catch your foot to send you down for a trip-and-fall knee injury. Some juice a child spills on a hard floor at the Orland Square Mall might send you backward to hit your head on a bench.

These dangers will always be present where there are a lot of people, but when owners and operators don’t monitor for them and take care of what they find, the risks multiply and people get hurt.

These are just a few of the hazards that are common around Orland Park:

• Spills— A 44 oz. soda pop with ice may end up on a grocery store or a convenience store floor. A broken jar may sit on an aisle and be ignored by managers and employees until someone has their foot taken out from under them. Ketchup, mustard, and other condiments could form a slippery hazard. Bathrooms are bad spots for water and soap to mix and create a fall risk.
• The Parking Lot — Store owners are also responsible for your safety after you park your car. You shouldn’t be tripped up by potholes that could’ve been repaired or crumbling sidewalks and stairwells. Landscaping hazards should be repaired.
• Weather Hazards – Businesses must keep their entryways reasonably free of snow and ice. Stores must watch their entryways for water pooling as customers enter on a rainy day. Those spots must be mopped and wet floor signs should be out.
• Floor Hazards — Broken flooring or even a misplaced floor mat can send you to the ground. An aisle may be littered with boxes that could catch your foot for a trip-and-fall accident. Store displays or even dropped candy could also make you trip or slip.
• Apartment and Residential Hazards – Landlords and property-management companies are responsible for keeping stairwells and handrails in good repair so no one can fall. They must sweep up or throw away random garbage that other tenants leave behind so you can’t trip.
• Falls at Government Buildings – An Orland Park public building, like the permit office, may have a puddle develop around a water fountain that could cause visitors to slip. Parking garages might have dilapidated stairwells that might send somebody falling multiple times. These accidents can leave the Village of Orland Park liable for injuries. Be sure to contact a slip-and-fall lawyer at MJB Law as soon as possible after getting hurt at a public building. City governments have special rules and protections regarding how victims can sue different departments. The deadlines for filing an injury claim are usually very short. Speak to an Orland Park personal injury lawyer so you don’t miss your chance to secure help.

These obstacles and others can leave store owners and property managers fully liable for injuries, but their insurance providers aren’t likely to write a check immediately. Their adjusters will look for ways to pin a fall on you. They may say that you were clumsy or that your shoes were worn out. Your Orland Park lawyer proves these accusations wrong and then works to maximize the compensation money you receive in a slip-and-fall settlement check.

Compensation Available After a Slip-And-Fall Accident

Victims of slip-and-falls can fall backward to hit their heads on shelving or the hard floor. They may suffer severe concussions or TBIs. Victims might also fall and break a hip bone and suffer other health consequences while they must remain immobile for weeks or months. Victims can also try to catch themselves and end up breaking a wrist.

Victims of trip-and-falls might fall forward to land with their full weight on a kneecap. They might fall on their faces to break a nose or knock some teeth out.

These are just a few of the serious injuries that could result from a slip-and-fall. With such serious consequences possible, your lawyer will be concerned with getting support not just for your current bills, but for the cost of care you may require in the future.

Your Michael J. Brennan Injury & Accident Lawyer files a claim that includes every hardship you’ve endured since your accident. That includes the physical, financial, and emotional damages:

• Current medical bills and estimates on any care expected to be necessary in the future.
• Long-term support the victim requires after suffering a permanent physical disability or disfigurement.
• Support for the physical pain the victim endures.
• Support for the emotional trauma the victim endures during a difficult recovery.
• Support for the victim’s loss of enjoyment of life.
• Support for the victim’s loss of consortium (loss of intimacy with a spouse).
• The travel costs involved as incapacitated victims must attend doctor’s appointments and go out of town to see specialists.
• Reimbursement on the income and benefits lost while the victim is unable to work.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I secure compensation if I was partially responsible for my fall?

Yes. Victims and property owners can share liability in an accident. You may have been looking at a cell phone when you fell, but as long as you are found to be less than 50% to blame for your accident, you can seek full or partial injury compensation.

How long do I have to file an accident claim in Illinois?

Illinois allows personal injury victims up to two years to file claims. You shouldn’t wait years to file though. Take action quickly to allow your lawyer to gather evidence before it becomes difficult to track down.

What if I can’t afford an Orland Park personal injury lawyer?

Michael J. Brennan works on a contingency basis. It means you won’t owe anything unless he wins your case for you. Then his attorney fee comes out of the settlement money you and your family are awarded.

Contact an Orland Park Slip-And-Fall Lawyer

Illinois personal injury attorney, Michael J. Brennan serves victims in Orland Park and across Cook County. He has over 35 years of legal experience and is a former State’s Attorney for Cook County. He has earned his reputation as a fierce negotiator and an aggressive trial lawyer.

If you or a loved one were in a slip-and-fall accident due to a store employee or a property owner’s negligence, you do not have to face your financial or legal issues alone. Contact MJB Law to schedule a case consultation that’s free and comes with no obligation for you. It’s a way to stay informed of every benefit available to you and your family before an insurance company tries to limit the support you receive.

Mr. Brennan is ready to ensure your rights are honored, you receive a fair financial recovery, and justice is served for your injuries and losses.