Practice

Blog

Slip and Fall Accident

Slip-and-Fall Accidents: An Overview (Part B)

Valid Slip-and-Fall Accident Claims

Slip-and-fall accidents are difficult claims to settle with insurance companies because they are often a matter of witness testimony and personal opinion as to who was negligent and other opinion-based factors. Your first step should be to seek professional advice from a Chicago slip-and-fall accident lawyer.

Most insurance companies will dismiss any slip-and-fall accidents that do not result in injuries that cause permanent disability or long-term care. Minor cuts, broken bones not requiring therapy or surgery, and bruises are usually not grounds for an insurance claim. However, if your injuries are severe and require extensive medical care, you may have a valid claim.

Three important questions you must be able to answer when filing claims for slip-and-fall accidents are:

What caused you to fall?
How did the hazard get there; and
How long was it present?

The hazard is important because the insurance company or jury will have to decide if the hazard was unnaturally there, such as spilled food or a sidewalk crack. Natural hazards like a normal amount of snow or ice on a driveway or puddles of water inside a store from a rainstorm are sometimes not considered valid hazards.

The amount of time the hazard was present is also important in slip-and-fall accidents. If a spill occurred without reasonable time for a store to clean it up, that may not be a valid claim. However, if security cameras show the spill was present, employees saw it and did not act and you then slipped, that claim would be much more valid.

Hiring a Chicago Slip-and-Fall Accident Lawyer

Because of the opinion-based nature of most slip-and-fall accidents and their causes, many insurance companies try to dismiss these claims or settle them for very low amounts. Almost all serious injury cases from slip-and-fall accidents must to go trial to receive a proper settlement.

With help from a Chicago slip-and-fall accident lawyer from the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. you can take comfort in knowing you have legal advice on your side. Our lawyers will help you in collecting the evidence of your slip-and-fall accident and prepare your case for trial so you can obtain a fair settlement. Contact us today for a free case evaluation - 312-263-1080

The Law Offices of
Barry G. Doyle, P.C.
5215 Old Orchard Road
Suite 710
Skokie, IL 60077
Phone: 312.263.1080
Fax: 312.263.0153

Proudly Serving Many Illinois Cities and Counties, Including:
Chicago, Aurora, Rockford, Naperville, Joliet, Waukegan, Geneva, Sycamore, Woodstock, Kankakee, Morris, Ottawa; Cook, DuPage, Will, Lake, Winnebago, DeKalb, McHenry, Kankakee, Grundy, LaSalle, Peoria, McLean, Champaign, Tazewell Counties