If you were injured in a slip and fall accident in DuPage County, Illinois, you deserve to be compensated by the at-fault party. If your claim is successful, you can receive a monetary award for your pain and suffering, lost wages, emotional distress, medical bills, and more.
The Law Offices of Mathys & Schneid was founded in 2005. Since then, our DuPage County slip and fall accident attorneys have collected more than $150,000,000 for our clients. Collectively, our lawyers have been practicing law for 74 years. We’re confident that we can help you achieve a favorable outcome for your slip and fall accident case.
contact our law office in DuPage County today at (630) 428-4040 to learn more about our personal injury law firm or to begin establishing an attorney-client relationship. We offer a no-charge, no-obligation consultation to review your case.
How the Law Offices of Mathys & Schneid Can Help After a Slip and Fall Accident in DuPage County
Slip and fall accidents can be more complex than they seem on the surface. It’s not always clear who the liable party or parties are, especially if the accident occurred on public property. However, the truth is that there’s usually a person or entity responsible for keeping the property in question safe. If they’ve failed to do so, they might be liable for your damages.
A skilled DuPage County personal injury attorney can take care of everything related to your compensation claim while you focus on your recovery. The attorneys with the Law Offices of Mathys & Schneid are here to help in just that way. Our lawyers are well-regarded in the area, receiving numerous accolades from prestigious legal organizations like Super Lawyers and The National Trial Lawyers.
We pride ourselves on treating our clients like family, which means dedicating maximum attention and resources to every case we take on. Hiring us means you’ll have a legal team to help you in the following ways:
- Launching a complete investigation into your case to collect evidence, research your best arguments, identify any liable parties, and determine all of your damages
- Hiring experts who can enhance your claim and, if necessary, testify on your behalf if your case reaches trial
- Negotiating a settlement with the threat of a lawsuit if the other side doesn’t negotiate in good faith
Want to learn more about how we can help with your case? Give us a call today in DuPage County, Illinois, to schedule a free case evaluation.
How Common Are Slip and Fall Accidents?
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) states that falls are the leading cause of injury and accidental death in older adults. While Illinois doesn’t provide statistics on the number of slip and fall accidents in its jurisdiction, the National Safety Council (NSC) provides some insight into how frequent these incidents are nationally speaking. Some noteworthy aspects of NSC’s report include:
- In 2020, 42,114 people died in the United States in fall accidents
- In 2020, 211,640 people had to miss work due to significant fall accident injuries
- In some industries, falls are the leading cause of death for working adults
- In 2019, more than 6.8 million people were treated in emergency rooms for fall-related injuries
Most slip-and-fall accidents are preventable, but that doesn’t take away from the significant harm that can result. Speak with a trusted DuPage County personal injury lawyer about receiving compensation for your losses if you’ve been harmed in an incident.
How Valuable Is My DuPage County Slip and Fall Accident Case?
There is no established value for a slip and fall accident injury case in DuPage County, as each involves a unique set of facts. The best way to find out how much your case is worth is to set up a free case review with one of our attorneys. But in the meantime, consider the following factors that influence the value of most cases:
- The type and severity of your injuries
- The extent to which you’ve had to miss work
- Whether you’re expected to make a full medical recovery
- The availability of evidence in support of your claim
- Whether you share any blame for the accident
In general, the cases involving the most significant injuries tend to be worth the most, but that is just one factor amongst many others.
What Do I Have To Prove To Recover Damages After a Slip and Fall Accident in DuPage County?
The two primary considerations when it comes to establishing liability in slip and fall accident cases are where the incident occurred and what your relationship to that place was at the time. Most slip and fall cases involve proving that the property owner in question was negligent, which means something like “carelessness.” Most also fall under the purview of premises liability law.
As the personal injury victim, you’ll need to establish that the property owner was negligent by a preponderance of the evidence. There are four elements required to prove negligence: duty of care, breach of duty, causation, and damages.
While many states distinguish between invitees, licensees, and trespassers when it comes to establishing liability in a premises liability case, Illinois does not. Instead, Illinois courts will evaluate the situation depending on how a reasonable person would have acted given the circumstances. In this way, Illinois treats slip and fall accident claims much like it would a standard negligence claim.
In general, most of the work in proving slip and fall accident cases comes down to establishing the first two elements of negligence, duty of care and breach of duty. But any of the elements can be at issue in any case. Some types of evidence you can use to establish liability for your damages include:
- Photos and videos of the accident and accident scene
- Medical records
- Eyewitness testimony
- Expert analysis
Individual persons, government entities, and business owners are three examples of potentially liable parties in slip and fall accident cases. Our lawyers will fight to recover compensation from every liable party when you choose us to take on your case.
Special Case: Workplace Slip and Fall Accidents
If your slip and fall accident took place at work, you’ll likely be able to file a workers’ compensation claim to recover partial damages. Workers’ compensation is generally a no-fault system, which means you can receive compensation even if the accident was your fault.
However, worker’s comp might not cover all of your losses from the accident. You can sometimes file a third-party negligence lawsuit to recover an additional financial award. For instance, if you’re a construction worker who slipped and fell due to a hazard that the general contractor was responsible for, you might have a case against them on top of your workers’ comp claim.
What Damages Can Slip and Fall Accident Victims Claim in DuPage County?
One type of damages you can claim after a DuPage County slip and fall accident is called economic damages. These damages make up for your financial losses, such as:
- Medical bills
- Decreased earning capacity
- Lost wages
- Out-of-pocket expenses
Another type you can claim is referred to as non-economic damages. These damages represent your other types of losses, including but not limited to:
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of consortium
- Emotional distress
- Disfigurement or scarring
Punitive damages are a third type of damages awarded in rare personal injury cases where the defendant has acted especially egregiously, such as with the intent to harm.
How Much Time Is There To File a Lawsuit After a Slip and Fall Accident in Illinois?
Illinois law affords you two years from the date of the slip and fall accident to file your lawsuit. If you miss this statute of limitations deadline, you’ll forfeit your right to pursue compensation.
Because there are exceptions to this deadline in either direction (sometimes you’ll have more time, other times less), it’s best to reach out to our law office in DuPage County if you have any questions about how the deadline applies in your situation.
Schedule a Free Consultation With an Experienced DuPage County Slip and Fall Accident Attorney
You don’t have to suffer through the consequences of your slip and fall accident in DuPage County, Illinois, alone. While you heal and rest from your injuries, the Law Offices of Mathys & Schneid can aggressively pursue a financial award on your behalf.
Our DuPage County slip and fall accident lawyers work on contingency, so you’ll only pay us if we secure compensation for you. Call today to learn more and set up your free, no-pressure consultation.
