Champaign Slip and Fall Accident Lawyer

Suffering serious injuries following any type of fall will cause a major disruption in your life, at the very least. While some fall victims are fortunate to recover quickly and without any lingering issues, others face a lifetime of limitations. And regardless, most slip and fall accident victims eventually open their mailboxes to medical bills related to the treatment they needed because of their fall. However, what if the fall wasn’t your fault? Who is responsible for your medical bills?

At the Fotopoulos Law Office, our Champaign slip and fall accident lawyer represents customers, workers, and anyone else injured on another’s property. Attorney John Fotopoulos is a former Cook County judge who, after leaving the bench, opened up a personal injury law firm to ensure accident victims in his community had a strong voice. He is highly regarded as an exceptional attorney who cares deeply about each of the clients he serves.

Slip and fall accidents can happen almost anywhere. However, you are more likely to encounter hazards that may cause you to slip and fall in certain places. For example, grocery stores, hospitals and doctors’ offices, stadiums, parking lots, sidewalks, shopping malls, and other retail establishments are all common locations where people fall. But what is it about these places that make falls more likely?

Most slip and fall accidents are the result of a visitor encountering an unexpected hazard that causes them to lose their balance. For example, the following are all common fall hazards:

• Cracked pavement,
• Insufficient lighting,
• Missing handrails,
• Bunched-up carpeting,
• Loose tiles,
• Slipped liquids,
• Uncleared snow or ice,
• Merchandise left on the floor, and
• Dangerous stairwells.

If you were injured as a result of any of the above, your fall may be due to the negligence of the property owner. If so, you could recover significant compensation through a premises liability lawsuit.

A premises liability lawsuit is a type of personal injury claim in which someone who was injured while on another’s property files a claim for damages against the property owner. Under the Illinois Premises Liability Act, all landowners owe anyone who has permission to be on their property a duty of care. More specifically, this duty requires the property owner to exercise “reasonable care under the circumstances.” For example, grocery stores should arrange to have employees periodically walk down the aisles to check for spills.

Proving a premises liability claim requires an injured visitor to show that they were injured as a result of a dangerous condition on the defendant’s property. However, these cases can be tricky because the Illinois Premises Liability Act specifically mentions that a visitor cannot recover if their injuries were caused by a hazard that:

• The victim knew (or should have known) existed;
• Was open and obvious;
• Was unknown to the owner of the property; or
• Was common among similar properties.

Not surprisingly, retail stores and other businesses that face a premises liability lawsuit will often defend against the case based on one of the above exceptions. An experienced Champaign slip and fall accident lawyer can help injured parties anticipate these defenses, increasing their chances of recovery.

If you or a loved one recently suffered serious injuries after falling at a store or other business, you may be entitled to monetary compensation to help you cover all your accident-related expenses. At the Fotopoulos Law Office, our Champaign slip and fall accident lawyer provides free consultations to all prospective clients, during which we will answer your questions and provide you with an honest assessment of your case. If you decide to allow us to bring a personal injury claim on your behalf, we will not charge you for any of our services unless we can connect you with compensation for what you’ve been through. To learn more, give the Fotopoulos Law Office a call at 708-942-8400 or connect with us through our secure online contact form.