Springfield Slip and Fall Injury Attorney
Request a Free ConsultationWhen property owners fail to uphold their duty of care and cause slip and fall injuries, they should be held responsible for the resulting damages. However, unless you can prove negligence, the store or property owner is not likely to pay you anything.
At Holley, Rosen & Beard, LLC, we are here to help if you need a Springfield slip and fall injury attorney. We have a history of recovering significant settlements for individuals who sustain injuries caused by the negligence of property owners, so let us get to work on your claim today. Call today for a free and confidential case evaluation.
Turn to Holley, Rosen & Beard, LLC for a Slip and Fall Case
At Holley, Rosen & Beard, LLC, our team of attorneys has over 50 years of combined experience handling a wide variety of premises liability claims and other legal issues. We offer a free initial consultation to answer your questions about premises liability law and explain your options. From our law offices in Springfield, we represent slip-and-fall injury victims throughout central Illinois.
- We firmly believe that clients deserve regular communication with their attorneys and the entire legal team.
- We have extensive experience handling complex premises liability claims in Springfield and throughout the state of Illinois, and we know what it takes to secure compensation.
- Our Springfield slip and fall injury attorneys handle claims on a contingency fee basis, so you will not have to worry about paying legal fees until after we recover compensation for your losses.
What Steps Should You Take Immediately After a Slip and Fall Accident in Springfield?
If you were injured in a slip and fall accident, taking the right steps can protect your health and your ability to seek compensation. Delaying action can make it harder to prove negligence and hold the property owner accountable. Important steps to take after a slip and fall accident include:
- Seek medical attention immediately – Some injuries, like concussions or internal bleeding, may not be obvious right away. A medical evaluation documents your injuries and connects them to the accident.
- Report the accident to the property owner or manager – Informing the property owner or store manager creates an official record of the incident. Failing to report the accident may give the defense an argument that the fall did not happen.
- Gather evidence at the scene – Take photos of the hazards that caused your fall, such as wet floors, broken steps, or uneven pavement. If there were witnesses, get their contact information in case they need to provide statements.
- Consult a Springfield slip and fall attorney – A reputable legal advocate can help you build a strong case by gathering evidence, proving liability, and negotiating with insurance companies. The sooner you get legal representation, the better your chances of securing fair compensation.
Common Hazards That Lead to Slip and Fall Accidents
Slip and fall accidents often happen because of unsafe conditions on public and private properties. Wet floors in grocery stores, uneven sidewalks, and dimly lit stairwells put visitors at risk of serious injuries. Property owners are responsible for addressing these hazards and ensuring that their premises are safe for customers and guests.
Failing to maintain a property can make the owner liable for injuries that occur on their premises. If a store ignores a spill, a landlord does not repair broken stairs, or a business fails to post warning signs, they may be held accountable for damages. Slip and fall victims must prove that the hazardous condition existed long enough that the property owner should have taken action.
How Do I Know If The Property Owner Acted Negligently?
Information presented by the National Floor Safety Institute indicates that floors and flooring materials contribute to more than two million fall injuries each year across the country. In Illinois, property owners owe a duty to exercise reasonable care to protect the guests from the risk of harm caused by dangerous property conditions. This includes ensuring the area is free and clear from potential slip and fall hazards. Examples of dangerous property conditions include:
- A foreign substance on a floor, which causes you to slip-and-fall
- Missing handrails on a staircase or uneven steps, which cause you to trip
- Cracked or uneven surfaces
- A hole in the floor that causes you to fall
- Falling merchandise in a store
- Wet entryways, caused by rain or melted ice and snow
- Wet floors, caused by spills of food or drink
- Loose floor mats
- Bunched carpeting or floor mats
- Electrical wires running across pedestrian pathways
- Loose floorboards or stairs
In Illinois, however, property owners are not responsible when the dangerous condition is open and obvious. “Open and obvious” means that an average person could discover the danger upon a casual inspection. It often takes a lawyer’s help to prove that a hazard was not open and obvious.
If you are injured in a slip-and-fall accident, you should report the accident immediately and keep a copy of the accident report. However, you should never make a recorded statement without talking to a lawyer. It’s important for you or your lawyer to document the dangerous condition before the property owner has a chance to make repairs.
It’s for these and other reasons that it’s important to reach out, speak with us and begin building your claim as quickly as possible. Regardless of how a slip and fall injury occurs, if the incident was caused by the negligent actions of a property owner or their employees, they should be held responsible for the incident.
How Much Compensation is Available for a Slip and Fall Claim
There may be various types of compensation available to slip and fall injury victims in the Springfield area. Our attorneys worked diligently to recover economic and noneconomic damages on behalf of every premises liability client we assist.
Economic damages revolve around relatively calculable losses individuals will incur as a result of the slip and fall incident. This can include complete coverage of medical bills caused by the slip and fall, lost wages if a person cannot work, various household out-of-pocket expenses, and more. Our team will gather receipts and bills that come into a victim after the incident occurs to help calculate these losses.
Non-economic damages revolve around more immeasurable expenses slip and fall victims are likely to incur. This can include the physical and emotional pain and suffering caused by the injury and the recovery as well as any loss of quality of life brought on by the injury. There are various methods our team will use to calculate these specific losses.
How to Prove a Property Owner’s Negligence in a Slip and Fall Case
To hold a property owner responsible for your injuries, you must prove that their negligence created dangerous conditions. The key to a successful claim is showing that the property owner knew, or should have known, about the hazard but failed to fix it. Strong evidence and legal arguments help establish liability and maximize compensation.
Compelling evidence is essential for proving that a property owner’s negligence caused your injuries. Surveillance footage, witness statements, and maintenance records can all support your claim. Video evidence can capture the moment of the accident, while witness testimony can confirm the conditions that led to your fall.
Medical records and accident reports are also important in building your case. A doctor’s diagnosis links your injuries to the fall, while an incident report documents the hazardous condition. The more evidence you can provide, the harder it is for the property owner to deny responsibility.
How Long Do You Have to File a Slip and Fall Claim in Illinois?
735 ILCS 5/13-202 gives you two years from the date of your slip and fall accident to file a personal injury claim. If you do not file within this period, you may lose your right to seek compensation. Taking action early helps preserve evidence and strengthens your case.
Injured In A Slip-and-Fall Accident? Talk With Us During A Free Consultation.
If you or somebody you care about has been injured in a slip and fall accident in the Springfield area, turn to the team at Holley, Rosen & Beard, LLC for help today. We will use our resources to conduct a full investigation into the incident in order to determine liability. Let us help you recover the compensation you need. You can reach our Springfield slip and fall injury attorney for a free consultation of your claim by filling out our contact form or calling us at (877) 671-5884.