Slip and Fall Attorney Rockford IL
Whether your fall occurred on private property or you slipped at a business, you have the right to a reasonably safe environment. Insurance companies of homeowners and businesses are among the sources of recovery for victims hurt in a fall. Whether you are shopping at the mall, enjoying a neighbor’s dinner party, or eating out at restaurant, all of us have the right to non-negligent treatment under the law.
Wet floors are often the source of the hazard in slip and fall incidents, and hosts are required to avoid avoidable risks that are foreseeable. Wet floors is a classic example. Many occasions arise where falls occur due to some liquid or food product on the floor, which would be considered a known risk, and the owner’s failure to warn the guests creates an avoidable risk of harm. Owners and hosts are required to ensure that guests are not exposed to foreseeable hazards, which are reasonably avoidable, regardless of whether the hazardous items are food related.
Cases of falls in retail shops and restaurants are the most common type of slip and fall case. Restaurants are particularly likely to cause dangerous conditions for patrons, because of the food handling that includes beverages and other liquids. Restaurants have a duty to provide a reasonably safe environment for their patrons, which can be exceedingly difficult in the restaurant industry. Department stores also are a common place for falls to occur in public, as department stores are more difficult to manage due to their size. While Rockford personal injury lawyers often handle slip and fall cases in commercial locations, we also handle slip and fall injuries that occur in private locations and dwellings. Slip and fall injuries in private places, such as a fall by the pool at a house party, also provide recovery and allow for compensation to injury victims. Home owner’s insurance can often provide recovery for those who have suffered from a slip and fall accidents in private locations, like the home of one of your friends or loved ones. Furthermore, home owner’s insurance can provide relief for injuries without requiring you to sue your friends or family. Similarly, home owner’s insurance companies can offer recovery for dog bites as well, whether the bite occurs on the owner’s property or not. Our law firm pursues the highest personal injury settlement possible. We take on the insurance company, so you do not have to.
When you are injured in a fall outside, there are a number of additional variables that present themselves. Slip and fall cases outdoors offer compensation but are more challenging, due to the elements that are outside of the control of everyone. Illinois personal injury laws state that “natural conditions” do not always allow for recovery. This doctrine typically refers to “acts of God,” to describe hazards created by ice, rain, and other weather conditions. Store operators occasionally cite this legal premise, in order to argue that they are not liable for the injuries. However, when store operators make efforts to address ice another natural hazards for patrons, they have a duty to undertake such steps on a non-negligent manner. Just as shops and retailers owe a duty of care to their customers and employees, service companies also have a duty to exercise reasonable care with its customers and employees. Home service providers also can be held liable, for example, a company may be held liable when you are injured in a landscaping accident. We have experience in landscaping injuries, and we have secured big settlements in landscaping accidents and many other types of personal injuries.
Wisconsin Slip and Fall Lawsuits
Holes in the ground or on the floor sometimes cause incredibly painful injuries that would be avoidable if people exhibited reasonable care. For personal injuries due to floor damage or holes in the ground, one of the main indicators of a person’s breach of care is visible in the attempts to repair the hazard. In undertaking the repair of a hazard, such as a broken floorboard, the repairer must do so without exposing guests to any additional risk of harm. If the floor board were repaired in a haphazard manner with packing tape, for example, that conduct would be suggestive of negligent behavior. When serious bodily injury directly results from the negligent behavior of another person, you could be entitled to significant compensation.
Average Slip and Fall Settlement Amounts
Most injury cases settle outside of Court, because the price of litigation is usually too expensive for the insurance company in comparison to settling the case. For that reason, lawyers that are the best negotiators are often the ones who maximize the settlement awards of their clients. The amount of settlement awards to victims in slip and fall cases varies widely from case to case. Many attorneys believe that somehow the total amount of medical bills provides a litmus test to valuing an injury case, but Pro Legal Care LLC takes the approach that every case is unique. One of the most important factors in assessing the value of your case is the permanency of your injury.
How much is my injury worth?
Whether you ever fully recover from your injury is one of the most important factors to determine the “worth” of your injury. Injured victims have the right to be made whole again. When you receive compensation for pain and suffering, the most obvious example being the point of impact or the crash itself, typically the basis is the pain that you experienced at the time of or close to the time of the injury. However, settlement amounts are much higher when your pain or injury is permanent. Nearly all of the record breaking personal injury settlements are the result of permanent injuries. To find out more about your settlement options, contact Pro Legal Care LLC to meet with a personal injury lawyer today.
