Thousands of Chicago area residents rely on parking lots every day. Unfortunately, parking lots are a common location for dangerous slip and fall accidents. With so much traffic and foot traffic, parking lots are prime locations for serious slip and fall accidents. Proving fault for parking lot slip and fall accidents can be challenging. If you’ve been the victim of a parking lot slip and fall accident, you need an experienced premises liability lawyer on your side.
At Stein & Shulman, LLC, we have a proven track record of obtaining compensation for clients injured in parking lot slip and fall accidents. We will thoroughly investigate your slip and fall accident and gather evidence to prove liability. We use our in-depth knowledge of Illinois slip and fall laws and our courtroom experience to advocate for our clients to obtain all of the compensation they deserve. Contact us today to schedule your initial consultation.
Common Causes of Parking Lot Slip and Fall Accidents
Most of us don’t think twice about the dangers of walking through a parking lot to get to our destinations. However, parking lots can be dangerous and cause thousands of slip and fall accidents a year. There are various causes of parking lot slip and fall accidents. For example, low lighting can make it challenging to see steps or debris in the parking lot and result in a slip and fall accident.
In some cases, property owners fail to place adequate signs that warn guests of dangerous conditions that can cause slip and fall accidents. In other cases, parking lot owners will not maintain broken or cracked wheel stops, and these cracks can cause a pedestrian to trip and fall. When parking lot owners fail to clean up oil leaks, or other liquid pools, pedestrians can slip and fall.
Slip and Fall Accidents in Parking Lot Staircases
When parking garages have multiple levels, customers need to utilize stairways. Stairways can lead to slip and fall accidents in various ways. Stairways without railings or stairways with broken railings can result in trip and fall accidents. Additionally, poorly constructed parking lot stairways or stairways with broken steps can cause injuries. Finally, dimly lit parking lot staircases can become a prime location for sexual assaults to occur to innocent victims.
Slip and Fall Accidents in Parking Lots Caused By Snow and Ice
Property owners sometimes fail to remove dangerous snow and ice from their parking lots during our long winters, resulting in slip and fall accidents. In older parking lots, owners may fail to repave their asphalt that’s become uneven and broken due to drastic temperature changes or wear and tear. Melted snow can create pools of water that are dangerous for pedestrians.
Injuries Caused By Slip and Fall Accidents in Parking Lots
Many slip and fall accidents require emergency room visits due to their severity. When someone slips and falls, there is always a chance that he or she will break a bone or suffer a hip fracture or brain injury. Slipping and falling in a parking lot is always dangerous because the victim may not be able to move out of the way of moving vehicles quickly. Hip fractures are particularly dangerous for elderly individuals. Other types of slip and fall injuries include the following:
- Broken bones
- Knee injuries, including torn ligaments
- Sprained wrists or ankles
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBI)
- Bruises and cuts
- Nerve and spine damage
- Muscle strains
- Shoulder dislocation
Proving Your Slip and Fall Accident Claim
The first step in bringing a lawsuit against the owner of a parking lot for your slip and fall injuries involves determining fault. Your attorney will help you determine which person or company is financially liable for your injuries. In most parking lot accident cases, the owner of the parking lot is liable. As the injured party, you will need to provide evidence that proves that the owner’s negligence caused your injuries.
Under Illinois law, property owners owe their guests a duty of care. They have an obligation to keep their parking lots reasonably safe. While they don’t have to keep their parking lot safe from all types of possible harm, they must keep it safe from foreseeable risks. They have a legal obligation to make periodic inspections of their parking lot to identify any dangerous conditions.
When property owners notice any dangerous conditions, they must make timely repairs. Illinois parking lot owners have a duty to anticipate common dangers, such as slippery ice and melting snow, and mitigate them. You will need to prove that a reasonable parking lot owner would have noticed the dangerous condition that caused your injuries and fixed it or warned you about it. You will also need to prove that the dangerous condition caused your injuries.
Recovering Damages in a Parking Lot Slip and Fall Accident
One of the most important steps in a premises liability lawsuit is calculating the damages to which you’re entitled. For many people, filing an insurance claim or a personal injury lawsuit is their one chance to recover compensation for their injuries. When an individual has a catastrophic injury after a slip and fall accident, medical care can cost over 1 million dollars throughout the victim’s lifetime. Calculating the real cost of all of the victim’s past and future expenses related to his or her injuries is crucial.
At Stein & Shulman, LLC, we will help you determine the total amount of compensation you deserve. We will gather and calculate all of the total cost of your medical bills, lost wages, out-of-pocket expenses, and your property damage. We have a strong network of outside financial professionals who can help us calculate the full cost of your damages, adjusted for inflation in the future. On top of your economic damages, we will request additional damages for your pain and suffering.
Contact a Chicago Parking Lot Slip and Fall Lawyer Today
If you’ve been injured in a parking lot slip and fall accident, Stein & Shulman, LLC can help. We hold negligent property owners accountable through premises liability lawsuits. There is too much at stake to handle a parking lot slip and fall accident on your own. You deserve a strong advocate in your corner to help you obtain compensation for all of the economic and non-economic damages involved in your case. Contact our Chicago personal injury lawyers today to schedule your free initial consultation.
