Chicago Slip & Fall Attorney

women who had a slip and fall accident in chicago

Chicagoland residents who have been injured in a slip and fall accident can count on the Stein & Shulman team to get them the money they need to fully recover from their injury. Our attorneys have over four decades of combined experience and have helped our clients collect millions of dollars in compensation. 

If you have been seriously injured in a slip and fall accident in the Chicago area, the Stein & Shulman team is ready to help you seek justice and get the funds you need to pay your medical expenses and move on with your life. 

Slip & Falls Cause Serious Injury

When we bring a lawsuit against a property owner for a slip and fall accident, we remind them that they have a responsibility to maintain their property, and keep it in a reasonably safe condition. This duty of care is owed to anyone who visits including social guests, employees, customers, and even uninvited guests like door-to-door salespeople. 

The clients we represent aren’t looking to make a quick buck off of their clumsiness, they have been seriously injured because a property owner was not a good caretaker. Our clients are often embarrassed about what happened, but there is no shame in seeking compensation for a serious injury that was caused by someone else’s negligence. 

Why Do I Need An Attorney? 

Seeking compensation for a slip and fall injury is a relatively straightforward process because most property owners have insurance that covers exactly this sort of scenario. Why then should you hire an attorney to assist you with your claims? 

As your attorney, it is our job to coax insurance companies to the negotiating table and persuade them to make a serious offer that fairly compensates you for all of the harm you have suffered. If that fails, we take them to court. 

We make our case by gathering evidence that shows who was at fault, and exactly how much money it would take to put you in the position you would be in if the accident had never occurred. 

In a typical slip and fall case, the Stein & Shulman team will:

  • Pull police records and your medical data;
  • Check to see if there is evidence of previous liability issues at the same location;
  • Interview witnesses; and 
  • Consult with experts in related fields who may be able to corroborate your version of events and possibly testify on your behalf.

We will also visit the site of the accident and look for hazards that contributed to your injury. Things like: 

  • Poor lighting conditions;
  • Damaged handrails or banisters;
  • Unmarked steps; 
  • Cracked or broken sidewalks;
  • Icy, snowy, or otherwise slippery conditions;
  • Optical illusions that hide elevation changes or exits;
  • Lack of, or damage to, accessibility ramps, doorways, bathrooms or showers;
  • Broken or uneven floor tiles;
  • Littered pathways or steps, indoors or out
  • Wet floors 
  • Loose scatter rugs or frayed carpeting.

The more evidence we gather, the stronger your case will be, and the harder it will be for an insurance company to deny your claim or try and low-ball you. 

Illinois Comparative Negligence Law 

Gathering evidence is also important because Illinois is a modified comparative negligence state. This means that the amount of compensation you are eligible for can be reduced based on your actions at the time of the accident.  

Using the evidence available to it, the court assigns a percentage of blame to each party involved in a slip and fall accident — you (the plaintiff) and the property owner (the defendant). Your award will be reduced by the percentage at fault the court determines you were. 

If, for example, you are found to be 20 percent to blame for your slip and fall accident since you were wearing inappropriate footwear for the terrain, you will lose 20 percent of the compensation the court awards. So, if you are awarded $100,000, you will actually receive $80,000.

You should be aware that the word “modified” in the phrase modified comparative negligence means that there is a limit to your ability to collect damages if you are found to be more than 51 percent to blame for your own injury. If the court determines you were most at fault for the slip and fall, you will receive no compensation at all. 

The Stein & Shulman team can help you prove that your accident was truly an accident, that you were not at fault, and deserve full compensation. 

Fighting For Your Full Monetary Compensation 

How much compensation you are eligible for depends on how much harm you have suffered. Our legal system is designed to put you in the position you would have been in if the accident had never occurred, so it is important that we gather evidence that documents your injury. 

We gather documents that explicitly enumerate your: 

  • Medical expenses;
  • Lost income;
  • Decreased future earnings; and 
  • Property damage.

We also talk to experts who can estimate a fair compensation for non-economic losses like:

  • Physical pain;
  • Emotional anguish;
  • Permanent disfigurement or disability;
  • Loss of consortium; and 
  • Loss of enjoyment of life.

If we can prove that the property owner whose actions caused your injury (the defendant) acted with disregard for human safety or engaged in criminal behavior, Illinois law allows us to seek punitive damages as well. Punitive damages have a twofold purpose: to punish the defendant and to discourage others from engaging in similarly egregious behavior.

We Do Not Get Paid Unless Our Clients Do

It takes a lot of time and energy to gather all the evidence needed to make a strong case at the negotiating table or in the courtroom, but our personal injury clients never pay us a cent upfront. 

Stein & Shulman represents victims of personal injury accidents in the Chicago area on a contingency fee basis. This means we do not get paid unless you do, and our fee will always be just a portion of what we recover on your behalf. 

We will not pressure you to settle for the first low-ball offer an insurance company throws at you just so we can cash a check. We will aggressively fight for every penny you deserve because we know you need that money to fully recover from your injuries. We make property owners and big insurance companies stand up and pay attention so you get the money you need to heal and move on with your life. 

Contact Our Chicago Slip & Fall Attorneys Today

If you or a loved one has suffered a serious slip and fall injury, we are here to help. Whether you are ready to take legal action right now, or are just curious about what options are available to you, we are ready to take your call. Please contact us today to schedule a free initial consultation.

The law office of Stein & Shulman routinely represents slip and fall victims in Chicago, Cook CountyLake CountyDuPage CountyWill County, McHenry County, and Kane County.