Injury attorneys from Abels & Annes, P.C. have resolved a premises liability case against a Chicago, Illinois building management company for a slip and fall injury. The accident is a little different than most premises liability cases we handle, in that the plaintiff was injured in her own residence, and she knew of the defective condition.
Our client slipped and fell on broken and loose tiles on the bathroom floor of her rental apartment as she was getting out of her shower. It was a longstanding condition and she had notified the landlord of the problem several months before the accident. The building manager came out and inspected the floor, but never got around to making repairs. (Even after my client was hurt, the defendant did not make repairs for another 3 months). While our client knew of the condition, it was a one bathroom unit and she had no choice but to use the shower.
Our client fell and injured her leg and shoulder. She went to a local emergency room after the accident. X-rays were negative for fractures. She underwent physical therapy on a couple occasions at the same hospital and her pain resolved a couple months later. She incurred over $3,000 in medical bills. The case settled pre-litigation for $12,000.
If you have been injured in a slip and fall injury, please contact Abels & Annes to speak to a lawyer. Premises liability cases can get complicated fast and they can be difficult to win. Many people that contact our office assume that if you fall on someone’s property and get hurt, you automatically have a case. This is not true. There has to be negligence on the part of the landowner for you to recover.
For example, in the shower case settlement, that fact that my client fell and was injured was not enough to have a case. What created liability on the part of the property owner was the fact that he had actual notice of the condition and failed to act.