Premises Liability Lawyer in Glendale Heights, IL

Premises liability lawyer in Glendale Heights, IL. If you or someone you love were seriously hurt because a property owner or manager was negligent, you are owed compensation under the law. Call the Glendale Heights, IL personal injury lawyers of Burger Law at (618) 500-HURT or contact us online to start on your road to true recovery.

If you were injured because a property owner did not keep their property safe in Glendale Heights, IL, see what the value of your claim may be by using our free personal injury calculator.

If you were injured by a property owner or manager’s negligence, seek medical care as soon as possible. Then, contact Burger Law. Our firm has over 30 years of litigation experience getting maximum compensation for our clients in Glendale Heights, IL. 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 the best possible compensation for your accident. You deserve it, and we will insist that you receive it. To date, we have secured more than $200 million in verdicts and settlements for the injured in a wide range of personal injury claims. Let us handle the legal battle so you can focus on your physical recovery. Reach out to a Burger Law Glendale Heights, IL premises liability lawyer today at (618) 500-HURT for a free case review.

Recognized Leaders in Premises Liability Claims

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 Glendale Heights, IL legal community and knows how to get results. In order to gauge the abilities of an injury law firm, you need to take into account their previous victories, and their reputation among their clients and peers. The many awards, honors and accolades Burger Law has received from the Glendale Heights, IL legal community include:

• Martindale-Hubbell Award — AV Preeminent® Rated by Martindale-Hubbell® from NexisLexis® – a notable achievement awarded to not more than 5 percent of all attorneys nationwide
• Million and Multi-Million Dollar Advocate Honor — Members of the Million and Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, an honor only given to 1 percent of attorneys in the United States.
• Top 100 Trial Lawyers Honor — Selected to the Top 100 Trial Lawyers by The National Trial Lawyers, an invitation-only honor that is made up of the most qualified lawyers in each state.
• Board Certified By the National Board of Trial Advocacy — Board certified in Civil Trial Advocacy and Civil Pretrial Practice Advocacy by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. Less than 4 percent of all practicing lawyers are certified by an American Bar Association accredited certification board.

Any premises liability lawyer can say they’ll fight for you, but proving they are qualified is another matter entirely. Click on the links below to read about our previous premises liability results:

• $1.435 Million Settlement Against Three Defendants For Deck Collapse That Injured Couple
• Widow in ATV Accident Settles with Property Owner – $600,000 Settlement
• $400,000 Settlement in Employer Sexual Harassment Case
• $350,000 Settlement in Ladder Case
• $300,000 Settlement for Slip and Fall Case
• $270,000 Settlement For Construction Site Bike Accident
• $250,000 Slip and Fall Settlement
• $250,000 Settlement in Icy Slip and Fall Suit
• $232,000 Workers’ Compensation Settlement
• $150,000 Settlement On the Eve of Trial
• $125,000 Slip and Fall Success
• $125,000 Settlement in Trip and Fall Case
• $125,000 Settlement in Auditorium Fall
• $120,000 Settlement For Gateway Arch Worker Injured on Tram
• $117,500 Slip and Fall Settlement
• $0 to $70,000 in Parking Lot Injury Case

Understanding Illinois Premises Liability Laws

According to The Illinois Premises Liability Act, the owner or occupier of a land typically has a duty of reasonable care to protect people legally on their property from unreasonable injuries because of dangerous conditions on the premises, by either fixing the hazard or by warning of its existence. That can mean hazards that they either had direct knowledge of or should have known about. If the dangerous condition was “open and obvious,” for example, sharp edges on machinery or equipment, a property owner generally does not owe you a responsibility to keep you from unreasonable harm.

Examples of a dangerous condition are:

• Wet spots on floors that are not cleaned up or are not marked with a warning sign
• Broken pavement
• Loose railings
• Unsecured flooring
• Unsecured wiring
• Damaged stairs
• Broken or malfunctioning doors
• Snow or black ice
• Uneven walking surfaces
• Poorly designed or repaired playground equipment
• Poor building craftsmanship
• Poor lighting
• Falling debris
• Broken locks or negligent security measures
• Pools without fencing or lifeguards on duty
• Unrestrained animals
• Poor electrical wiring

If you were misusing the property, for example, sliding down a banister or being on a part of the premises that was cordoned off, the person in control of the premises usually does not has a responsibility to keep you from harm.

To prove a premises liability claim in Glendale Heights, IL, you must fulfill four conditions:

1. That the defendant owed you a duty of reasonable care
2. That there was a dangerous condition on the premises
3. That the party in possession of the property knew or should have known about it
4. That they did not use reasonable care to warn, fix or discover the dangerous condition
5. That the dangerous condition caused you injuries

Are There Any Exceptions to to “Open and Obvious” in Illinois Premises Liability Laws

There are two instances in which “open and obvious” may not apply:

1. The “Distraction” ExceptionIn Ward v. K Mart Corp (185 Ill. App. 3d 153 (Ill. App. Ct. 1989)), the Illinois Supreme Court ruled that the state would apply a “distraction exception.” If an owner should predict that you may not appreciate a hazard because you may be distracted by something else on the property, they still need to fix or guard against the hazard. For example, if a grocery store has signs on the wall with information on their current discounts, and you fell over an “obvious” condition because you were looking at them, you may still be able to receive compensation. The exception does not apply distractions that are your fault, for example looking at your phone.
2. The “Deliberate Encounter” ExceptionThe second exception is when the dangerous condition may be easily discovered, but the person on the premises has good reason to proceed. In LaFever v. Kemlite Company (185 Ill. 2d 380 (Ill. 1998) 706 N.E.2d 441), the Illinois Supreme Court ruled that a property owner owed a duty of care to a man who slipped on hazardous material near a dumpster. The danger was known to the injured man, but because the man had to empty the dumpster as part of his employment, the owner should have anticipated that the man would encounter the waste.

Types of Visitors in Glendale Heights, IL Premises Liability Claims

The extent of the duty the possessor owes you depends on why you were on the premises. Illinois law differentiates between three categories of visitors:

Invitees and Licensees

Invitees are people that are on the premises for the property owners’s financial benefit, for example patrons at a bar or attendees of a amusement park. People on public land, such as libraries or parks, are also considered invitees.

A licensee is someone that is on the property with the permission of the possessor, but not for the express financial benefit of the possessor. Common examples include friends over a party, a utility technicians working on your property, someone you allow to hunt on your property for free or someone stopping into a store only to use the bathroom.

The duty of care owed to invitees and licensees used to be different in Illinois. However, since the current Illinois Premises Liability Act was passed on September 12, 1984, invitees and licensees have the same protections under the law.

Trespassers

A trespasser is someone who enters a property without permission or an invitation. Because the possessor did not invite them to the premises, the Illinois Pattern Jury Instructions states that owners owe no duty to a trespasser, with some exceptions:

• Once the trespasser’s presence is known or should be known, an owner has a duty not to purposefully injure the trespasser.
• If an owner knew there was an artificial structure that could cause serious bodily injury or death, and the owner knew or had to reason to believe trespassers would be on the property, they have a duty to warn against the condition.
• If the owner is conducting activities, for example yard work, and knows there is a trespasser who could become injured by the activity, they have a duty to try to avoid injuring the trespasser.
• According to the common law principle of attractive nuisance, in some states, property owners can be held strictly liable – or automatically liable – if a child comes onto the property because of a dangerous condition that might be attractive to a child and the child is hurt. Common attractive nuisances include swimming pools, playground equipment, dangerous or unsecured animals or high-voltage power lines. In Kahn v. James Burton Co. (5 Ill. 2d 614 (Ill. 1955) 126 N.E.2d 836), the Illinois Supreme Court rejected strict liability in attractive nuisance cases. Instead, the child and their family would have a general negligence claim. To make a premises liability claim for a child under attractive nuisance, you must demonstrate:
  • The owner had reason to believe a child may come onto the property,
  • The nuisance could lead to the death or injury of a child
  • A child would not be expected to understand the risks, and
  • The cost of remedying the danger or restricting access was relatively low

If you are unclear about whether the possessor of the property owed you a duty of care and were negligent, your knowledgeable premises liability lawyer with Burger Law will answer any questions you may have for free. Speak to a premises liability lawyer in Glendale Heights, IL about your case today at (618) 500-HURT or fill out our online form.

Common Premises Liability Injuries in Glendale Heights, IL

We have gotten maximum compensation for our Glendale Heights, IL clients with a wide range of premises liability injuries, including:

• Broken bones
• Back, neck and spine injuries
• Concussions and other traumatic brain injuries
• Burns
• Electric shocks
• Joint injuries

How Can a Premises Liability Lawyer in Glendale Heights, IL Help Me?

Premises liability claims are vigorously defended against by Glendale Heights, IL insurance companies. They may say that your injuries are your fault, or say that the possessor did not owe you a duty of care. An experienced premises liability lawyer in Glendale Heights, IL like those at Burger Law will not let them get away with avoiding their obligation to compensate you. A premises liability lawyer in Glendale Heights, 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:

• Fully investigate the circumstances surrounding your injuries and ascertain who is at fault
• Gather evidence such as depositions from witnesses and others who know of the dangerous condition, accident reports, pictures, security footage and depositions from expert witnesses
• Identify how the person in control of the property neglected their duty of care
• Quantify how much your claim is worth, including your medical expenses, wages you lost from time off work recovering, lost earning capacity, pain and suffering and mental anguish, to make sure you get the most amount of money possible
• Resist dishonest tricks from the insurance adjuster trying to devalue your compensation
• Negotiate a settlement with the insurance company
• Keep you up-to-date on the status of your case
• Take the case to trial if the insurance company will not be fair in negotiations

We have earned both our exceptional reputation and our clients’ compensation through tenacity extraordinary ethics and a “never back down” frame of mind. We do not stop fighting until there is nothing left to fight.

Resources to Help With Your Premises Liability Case in Glendale Heights, IL

Most people who come to us have never had to seek compensation for an injury before, and do not know how to go about making their claim, or even how to the right attorney for their case. Fortunately, our firm has literally written the book on essential questions to ask before picking a lawyer or settling your case, which you can download for free below.

We also offer numerous other free resources on our website.

• Illinois Personal Injury Resources
• How a Lawsuit Works
• Legal Terms Glossary
• Legal Podcasts
• Premises Liability Blog

What Are the Most Common Types of Glendale Heights, IL Premises Liability Claims?

What Are the Most Common Types of Glendale Heights, IL Premises Liability Claims?

At Burger Law, we fight for the rights of people seriously injured in a wide range of premises liability claims in Glendale Heights, IL, including:

• Slip and falls
• Inadequate security
• Claims against restaurants
• Assault and sexual assault
• Elevator and escalator accidents
• Fire and smoke injuries
• Grocery or retail store injuries
• School and daycare accidents
• Claims against bars and restaurant
• Claims against landlords
• Claims against hotels
• Swimming pool accidents
• Amusement park accidents
• Exposure to toxic chemicals or substances
• Dog bites and other animal attacks

If you were sustained a premises liability injury, you need a full financial recovery, no matter where or how your injuries occurred. Never believe an insurance adjuster or property owner when they say they do not have to pay you.

Glendale Heights, IL Premises Liability Lawyer: Frequently Asked Questions

How Much is My Premises Liability Claim Worth?

The true value of your claim depends on the particulars of your claim:

• How serious your injuries are and how much they have affected you financially, physically and mentally
• If your injuries resulted in permanent disability
• Whether you will need future medical treatment
• Whether or not you contributed to your injuries
• The insurance coverage’s policy limits, and whether there is more coverage available

Your Glendale Heights, IL premises liability lawyer at Burger Law will be able to ensure that no money is left on the table when settling your claim.

Can I Still Receive Compensation if I Was Partially at Fault for My Injuries?

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 can recover for the percentage of the accident that is not your fault.

Meaning, if your damages total $100,000 but you share 30 percent of the blame for your accident, you will receive $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.

That means that if you share more of the blame than the other party, you cannot make a recovery in Glendale Heights, IL. Your Burger Law premises liability lawyer will know how to prove that you are not responsible for the harm someone else caused.

What Is the Statute of Limitations for a Premises Liability Claim in Glendale Heights, IL?

In Illinois, the statute of limitations is shorter than most states at two years, according 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:

1. If you were under 18 at the time of the injury, you have until your 20th birthday.
2. If you had a “legal disability” at the time of your injury, you have two years from the date the disability was “removed.”

Following an injury that happened because of somebody else’s negligence, contact a lawyer as soon as you can. You only have one opportunity to receive full compensation, and the clock is already ticking. Do not hesitate, call us now at 312-500-HURT.

What if I Was Injured Because of a Dangerous Condition at a Friend or Family Member’s House?

If you were hurt at a friend or family member’s property, you should still file a claim with their homeowner’s insurance. While the notion of “suing” a family member or friend is nothing anyone wants to think about, in reality the reason we pay into insurance is to keep ourselves and those we love safe in the unfortunate event of an injury. Any close friend or family member should want to see you fairly compensated for your damage.

Can I File a Claim Against a Government Entity in Glendale Heights, IL for Premises Liability?

Generally, the Illinois State Lawsuit Immunity Act prohibits the state from being named the defendant in an injury claim. 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 responsibility to remedy dangerous conditions on public property, such as roads or parks, as a homeowner or business owner would be.

Instead of a two-year statute of limitation, claims against the state of Illinois must be filed within one year of the injury. There are also unique instructions for filing your claim with the State Attorney General and Clerk of the Court of Claims. By hiring a capable premises liability lawyer, you can ensure everything goes smoothly.

In addition to premises liability, other claims we take on in Glendale Heights, IL include:

• Truck Crash Lawyers in Illinois
• Wrongful Death Lawyers in Illinois
• Semi-Truck Accident Lawyer in Illinois
• Car Accident Attorney in Illinois

Hire Burger Law

Speak to a Premises Liability Lawyer in Glendale Heights, IL Today

Property owners and their insurance companies will not always be willing to fairly compensate you for the injuries their negligence caused. Burger Law fights against bullies like resistant insurance companies and people who do not want to take responsibility for their actions every day. 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 quality legal advocacy. Speak to a Burger Law Glendale Heights, IL premises liability attorney today at 312-500-HURT or fill out our online contact form to discuss your case for free.

Client Reviews

What our clients are saying about us

Juanita Matthews

Year of 2023

This law firm is absolutely amazing. They took on my case, when nobody else would! They fought hard for me when it seemed there was no hope. They kept me informed and always asked for my input before making decisions on my case. Gary puts himself into every case unlike most law firm owners. Gary and his team really care about every one of their clients, and fights hard to get you a fair settlement. They actually won my case out of court, and then reduced my fees to make sure I could get my car fixed and be able to get back to some normality. I would recommend Burger Law over and above any other firm! If you go somewhere else you aren’t getting the best!

Shaunda S.

7 months ago

I am very happy with the staff at Burger Law. I mostly worked with Michael Sheldon, and he did an amazing job. I trusted him completely with my case, and he did not disappoint. I would definitely recommend this team if your ever in need of good attorneys.

Emelia M.

3 months ago

Burger Law Firm is fantastic. Laura and Genevieve were so amazing and helpful throughout the entire process. They helped me with my personal injury case every step of the way and succeeded at getting me the results I desired.

Helen L.

a year ago

We had a great experience with Burger Law for representing us after a serious car accident. Truly impressed by how professional and supportive the entire team is. And, many thanks to Genavieve and Laura – you are amazing!

Judy M.

a year ago

They did an amazing job on my case! Communication with them was great!!! Kept me informed and in the loop with everything that was going on!!! Will definitely be the 1st ones I’ll call if ever I’m in another accident!!! Thank you very much!!!

Chelsea C.

5 months ago

Let me tell you something about Burger Law.. they are so attentive and kind. Jennifer is my savior!! I love the whole team!!! They are truly a miracle team!! I appreciate their business and would recommend it to others.

David D.

2 months ago

Absolutely the best law firm in the St. Louis area. No matter the size of your case you are treated as if you are the only client on the roster. Will explain anything thoroughly and they work around your availability. Very impressed and appreciative of the service.

Lisa B.

11 months ago

Gary and Casey took great care of me for 2.5 years as my lawsuit was finally settled. I feel he helped me achieve justice for me and my 4 children after their father died from medical malpractice and neglect. Thanks to Gary, my kids now have a great start to their college and adult lives. Thank you Gary and Casey, for fighting for us so hard at our most trying and difficult time in our lives thus far. Love and God bless from my family to yours!

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