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(314) 500-HURTIf you were seriously injured on someone else’s property, you are owed compensation under the law. Call the Chicago-based Illinois personal injury lawyers of Burger Law at 312-500-HURT or contact us online for justice and maximum compensation. If you were injured because a property owner did not keep their property safe in Chicago or anywhere in Illinois, see how much your case may be worth by using our free personal injury calculator.
If you were injured by a property owner’s negligence, get medical treatment immediately. Then call Burger Law. Our attorneys have over 80 years of combined litigation experience getting maximum compensation for our clients throughout Illinois. You did not ask to be injured, but with our dedicated team and extraordinary level of legal advocacy, you can be made whole again. The decision to hire a premises liability lawyer is a big one; you only have one chance to get a full financial recovery for your injuries. You deserve it, and we will not stop fighting until you receive it. To date, we have secured over $200 million in compensation for our clients in a wide range of personal injury cases. Let us handle the legal battle so you can focus on healing. Call a Burger Law Illinois premises liability lawyer today at 312-500-HURT for a free consultation.
To ensure you get full compensation, you need to put your case in the capable hands of a premises liability lawyer who has earned the respect of the Illinois legal community and knows how to get results. The many awards, honors and accolades Burger Law has received from other attorneys include:
When choosing a lawyer, you need to know that they have gotten results in similar cases before. You want to know that you are giving your case to the best possible lawyer, and that they are going to fight hard to make sure you get 100 percent of the recovery and compensation you deserve. A premises liability lawyer can say just about anything, but proving they are qualified is another matter entirely. Some of our recent premises liability case victories include:
Pursuant to The Illinois Premises Liability Act, those in control of a property, meaning whoever owns it or is in control of it, generally have a duty of reasonable care to protect people legally on their property from foreseeable harm due to dangerous conditions on the property, by either repairing the hazard or by warning of its existence. This includes dangerous conditions that they either explicitly knew about or should have discovered through reasonable diligence. If the hazard was “open and obvious,” for example, open flames, you may not be able to make a claim.
Examples of a dangerous condition can include:
If you were not using the property in a reasonable way, for example, sliding down a banister or being on a part of the premises you were not allowed to be on, the property owner or manager typically does not has a responsibility to keep you from harm.
To prove a premises liability claim in Chicago, Illinois, you must fulfill four conditions:
There are two instances in which “open and obvious” may not apply:
How much responsibility the possessor owes you depends on what kind of visitor you are. Illinois law differentiates between three categories of visitors:
Invitees are people that are on the premises for the property owners’s financial benefit, for example customers in a store or attendees of a movie theater. An invitee can also be someone on property open to the public.
A licensee is someone that is on the property with the permission of the possessor, but either for their own benefit or the benefit of neither. Common examples include friends over for dinner, a utility technicians working on your property, someone you let hunt on your property at no cost or someone stopping into a restaurant only to ask for directions.
In the past, Illinois Law stipulated that property owners owe a higher duty of care to invitees than licensees. However, since the current Illinois Premises Liability Act was passed on September 12, 1984, that distinction has been abolished. Licensees are owed the same duty of care as invitees.
A trespasser is someone who enters a property without permission or an invitation. Because the the trespasser is not supposed to be on the property, the Illinois Pattern Jury Instructions does not require property owners to keep trespassers safe from unreasonable harm, with a few exceptions:
If you are unclear about whether the possessor of the property owed you a duty of care and breached it, your experienced premises liability lawyer with Burger Law will help you make sense of your situation and get you the best possible legal outcome in your situation. Speak to a premises liability lawyer in Chicago, IL about your case immediately at (314) 500-HURT or complete online form.
We have gotten maximum compensation for our Illinois clients with a wide range of premises liability injuries, including:
Insurance companies fight back hard against premises liability claims. They may try to blame you for your injuries, or say that the possessor did not owe you a duty of care. A talented premises liability lawyer in Chicago, IL like those at Burger Law will not let that happen. A premises liability lawyer in Chicago, IL can help level the playing field against a powerful insurance company. When you hire us, we will immediately get to work demanding full compensation. As part of our legal services we will:
We have earned both our distinguished reputation and our clients’ compensation through tenacity extraordinary ethics and a “never back down” mentality. We do not stop fighting until there is nothing left to fight.
Most of our clients have never had to seek compensation for an injury before, and are not sure how to proceed, or even how to the right attorney for their case. Fortunately, we have literally written the book on essential questions to ask before picking a lawyer or settling your case, which you can download at no cost by providing your information below.
We also provide numerous other free resources on our website.
At Burger Law, we fight for the rights of people seriously injured in a variety of premises liability claims in Chicago, IL, including:
If you were injured on someone else’s property because of the owner or manager’s negligence, you need to be compensated, no matter where or how the accident happened. We will ensure you get it.
The true value of your claim depends on the specifics of your claim:
Your Chicago, IL premises liability lawyer at Burger Law will be able to ensure that no money is left on the table when securing your settlement or jury verdict.
Your premises liability lawyer will still be able to help you get compensation, although the amount will be less. Illinois is what is considered a modified contributory fault state, which means that you will be compensated for the portion of the fault you do not share.
Meaning, if a jury awards you $100,000 in damages, but finds that you share 30 percent of the blame for your injury, you can recover $70,000. Keep in mind that 735 ILCS 5/ §2-1116 states that:
The plaintiff shall be barred from recovering damages if the trier of fact finds that the contributory fault on the part of the plaintiff is more than 50 percent of the proximate cause of the injury or damage for which recovery is sought.
Meaning, if you are over 50 percent to blame for the accident, you cannot make a recovery in Illinois. Your Burger Law premises liability lawyer will know how to prove that you are not responsible for the harm someone else caused.
In Illinois, the statute of limitations is shorter than most states at two years, pursuing to 735 ILCS 5/. That means you must file a claim within two years of when the injury occurred. However, there are a couple of noteworthy exceptions:
After a premises liability injury, there is no time to wait. You only have one opportunity to receive full compensation, and the countdown has already started. Do not hesitate, call us as soon as possible at 312-500-HURT.
If you were injured at a friend or family member’s house, you should still seek compensation from their homeowner’s insurance. While the idea of “suing” someone you love is nothing anyone wants to think about, in reality you are just insisting that their insurance cover the expenses related to your injuries as they are supposed to. No good friend or family member would want to see you under financial hardships because of an injury.
Generally, the Illinois State Lawsuit Immunity Act gives immunity to the state of Illinois. However, the Illinois Court of Claims Act allows you to make a claim against the state for damages that could also be sought against a private entity. So, the state has the same duty to warn against or fix dangerous conditions on public property, such as sidewalks or libraries, as a homeowner or business owner would be.
Instead of having two years to make a claim, claims against the state of Illinois must be made within one year of the accident. There are also unique instructions for filing your claim with the State Attorney General and Clerk of the Court of Claims. By contacting a knowledgeable premises liability lawyer, you can ensure your claim is filed correctly.
Property owners and their insurance companies often do not want to take responsibility for their negligence. Burger Law knows how to fight back. We know you did not expect to be injured, but, with Burger Law, you can expect full compensation and the best possible results in your claim. We insist on nothing but the best possible compensation, and offer nothing but the highest standard of legal advocacy. Speak to a Burger Law Chicago, IL premises liability attorney today at 312-500-HURT or fill out our online contact form for a no-obligation, no-risk case review.
Frequently asked questions
How do you determine which personal injury lawyer is right for you? As you’ve undoubtedly heard the disclaimer at the end of TV and radio commercials for law firms: the choice of a lawyer is important and should not be based solely upon advertisements.
The key is to speak with the lawyer and determine whether or not you are comfortable with them handling your claim. The outcome of your case has the potential to drastically change your life for better or worse. Burger Law understands the importance of a competent and caring personal injury lawyer in any accident case. We are available to discuss your case free of charge to help you make this important decision. Call us at 314-542-2222 or contact us online today.
How do you determine which personal injury lawyer is right for you? As you’ve undoubtedly heard the disclaimer at the end of TV and radio commercials for law firms: the choice of a lawyer is important and should not be based solely upon advertisements.
The key is to speak with the lawyer and determine whether or not you are comfortable with them handling your claim. The outcome of your case has the potential to drastically change your life for better or worse. Burger Law understands the importance of a competent and caring personal injury lawyer in any accident case. We are available to discuss your case free of charge to help you make this important decision. Call us at 314-542-2222 or contact us online today.
How do you determine which personal injury lawyer is right for you? As you’ve undoubtedly heard the disclaimer at the end of TV and radio commercials for law firms: the choice of a lawyer is important and should not be based solely upon advertisements.
The key is to speak with the lawyer and determine whether or not you are comfortable with them handling your claim. The outcome of your case has the potential to drastically change your life for better or worse. Burger Law understands the importance of a competent and caring personal injury lawyer in any accident case. We are available to discuss your case free of charge to help you make this important decision. Call us at 314-542-2222 or contact us online today.
This page has been written, edited, and reviewed by a team of legal writers following our comprehensive editorial guidelines. This page was approved by Founding Partner, Gary Burger who has more than 30 years of legal experience as a practicing personal injury trial attorney. Gary’s robust legal knowledge is recognized by his peers as demonstrated by his industry awards and frequent Continuing Legal Education (CLE) lectures.
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