Chicago Slip and Fall Lawyers
If you were injured because of a dangerous condition on someone else’s property, our Chicago slip and fall lawyers can help you determine who was responsible and what compensation you may recover. Your case may depend on evidence that can disappear quickly, including surveillance footage, witness accounts, maintenance records, and photographs of the hazard.
At DePaolo, Zadeikis & Pino, we represent injured people, not insurance companies. We investigate what caused your fall, identify who controlled the property, preserve evidence, document your losses, and deal with the insurer. If the insurance company refuses to make a fair offer, our trial lawyers are prepared to take your case to court.
“A strong slip and fall case starts with evidence. We want to know what caused your fall, who knew about the hazard, what should have been done to fix it, and what evidence exists to prove it.”
~ Attorney Donna Zadeikis
Call our Chicago slip and fall lawyers at (312) 263-7560 for a free consultation about your injury and legal options.
Alexander Pino focuses his practice in the areas of Workers’ Compensation and Personal Injury.
Alexander grew up in the suburbs of Chicago. After receiving a BS in Real Estate from DePaul University, Alexander attended DePaul University College of Law. While in law school, Alexander worked as a law clerk at the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, where he assisted attorneys in the Child Welfare Litigation Department. Alexander also held various internships at the Cook County Public Defender, where he aided Assistant Public Defenders in the Felony Trial Division and the Homicide Task Force. Alexander also worked as a Law Clerk at the personal injury law firm Horwitz, Horwitz & Associates. Additionally, during law school, Alexander held volunteer positions in local government as a board member in both the Parks and Recreation Commission and the Environmental and Health Commission of his hometown.
In those rare moments when he is not busy fighting for his clients, Alexander enjoys working out, hiking, fishing and spending time with his family.
What Should You Do After a Slip and Fall in Chicago?
What you do after your fall can affect your ability to prove your claim. If you can, report the accident to the property owner, manager, or employee. Ask for a copy of the incident report, but do not guess about what caused your fall or accept blame.
Photograph the exact hazard and the surrounding area. A close-up of a puddle may help, but wider photos can show whether warning signs were present, how visible the condition was, and where you fell. Get contact information from anyone who saw the accident or the hazard.
Seek medical care and explain how your injury occurred. Keep your bills, medical records, photographs, receipts, and correspondence about the accident.
Do not assume the property owner will preserve evidence for you. A spill can be cleaned, ice can melt, a broken step can be repaired, and surveillance video can be overwritten. The sooner your attorney investigates, the better the chance of preserving evidence that shows what happened.
Who Can Be Held Responsible for Your Slip and Fall?
A property owner is not automatically responsible simply because you fell. Your claim generally requires evidence that the person or company responsible for the property failed to use reasonable care under the circumstances. In many slip and fall cases, you also need evidence showing that the responsible party knew or should have known about the dangerous condition in time to correct it or warn you.
Depending on where your injury occurred, your case may involve a property owner, business, commercial tenant, landlord, management company, maintenance contractor, or another party responsible for the dangerous area.
We look at who controlled the property, who created the hazard, how long the condition existed, whether anyone complained about it, and whether reasonable inspections or repairs could have prevented your injury.
Those details matter because insurers often argue that their policyholder did not know about the hazard or did not have enough time to correct it. We look for the evidence that answers those arguments.
What Evidence Can Help Prove Your Case?
The evidence you preserve after your fall can make a significant difference in your claim. You need evidence that helps establish what caused you to fall, who was responsible for the property, and how the accident injured you.
Important evidence may include:
- Photographs or videos of the hazard
- Property surveillance footage
- Incident and accident reports
- Witness statements
- Inspection and maintenance records
- Medical records documenting your injuries
Keep the shoes and clothing you wore when you fell. They may become evidence, particularly if the insurance company claims your footwear contributed to the accident.
Your attorney may also investigate prior complaints, repair records, cleaning schedules, or other evidence showing whether the responsible party knew or should have known about the condition.
If your injury is serious, call DePaolo, Zadeikis & Pino at (312) 263-7560. We can start investigating your claim before valuable evidence disappears.
What If the Insurance Company Blames You for Falling?
Do not be surprised if the insurance company looks for a way to put some or all of the blame on you.
An adjuster may argue that you were distracted, ignored a warning, wore inappropriate shoes, or should have noticed the hazard. Illinois follows a modified comparative fault rule. If you are partly responsible, your compensation can be reduced according to your percentage of fault. If you are more than 50% at fault, you generally cannot recover damages.
That makes your statements and the physical evidence important.
Do not guess about how long a hazard existed, whether you saw it before falling, or what you could have done differently. Tell the truth about what happened, but do not let an insurance adjuster pressure you into accepting blame before your case has been investigated.
Where Do Slip and Fall Accidents Happen in Chicago?
We represent people injured on unsafe property throughout Chicago and Cook County. Your claim may arise from a fall at a grocery store, restaurant, apartment building, parking garage, hotel, office building, retail store, or another property.
Chicago weather also creates serious winter hazards. Chicago snow and ice cases have additional legal requirements. Illinois property owners generally are not liable simply because someone falls on a natural accumulation of snow or ice. A claim may exist when the ice or snow accumulated unnaturally, resulted from a property condition or the owner’s actions, or when another legal duty applied. That makes photographs, weather conditions, drainage, plowing and salting records, and evidence showing how the ice formed especially important.
A fall at a Loop office building may involve different responsible parties than an injury at an apartment complex in Lakeview or a South Side retail property. We follow the evidence to determine who controlled the dangerous area and who may be responsible for your injury.
How Much Is Your Slip and Fall Case Worth?
Your claim should reflect the actual impact of your injury, not an insurance company’s formula or a generic settlement calculator.
Depending on your case, you may be able to recover compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, reduced earning capacity, pain and suffering, disability, disfigurement, and other losses.
Future costs matter, too. If you need surgery, rehabilitation, additional treatment, or time away from work, settling before your medical condition is understood could leave those losses out of your recovery.
We look at what your injury has already cost you and what medical evidence shows you may need in the future before evaluating a settlement offer.
How Can Chicago Slip and Fall Lawyers Protect Your Claim?
Our attorneys start with what happened to you, not what the insurance company says happened.
We identify who owned or controlled the property, preserve available video, locate witnesses, review incident and maintenance records, document your injuries, and gather evidence of your financial losses. We also handle communication with the insurer so you do not have to manage adjusters while treating your injuries.
Insurance companies investigate claims with their own financial interests in mind. An adjuster may ask for a recorded statement, medical authorization, or information about previous injuries. Those requests can affect your claim.
We build the evidence, challenge attempts to shift unfair blame to you, negotiate for a fair settlement, and prepare your case for trial when necessary.
Call (312) 263-7560 for a free consultation. You pay no upfront attorney fees, and we do not get paid unless we win your case.
You generally have two years from the date of your injury to file a slip and fall lawsuit in Illinois. But you may have much less time if a local government entity is responsible. If your claim involves the City of Chicago, CTA, Cook County, or another local public entity, you generally have one year to file your lawsuit under 745 ILCS 10/8-101. Do not wait for the deadline. Acting early gives us more time to preserve evidence and protect your claim.
Frequently Asked Questions About Chicago Slip and Fall Claims
Your questions after a slip and fall are likely about your specific claim: whether you can prove fault, what the insurer may argue, and what you should do next. Here are answers to several questions our attorneys hear from injured people.
Can I Have a Case If There Was a Warning Sign?
Yes, depending on the circumstances. A warning sign does not automatically protect a property owner from liability. Its location, visibility, wording, and relationship to the actual hazard can matter. If possible, photograph the sign, the dangerous condition, and the surrounding area so your attorney can evaluate what warning was actually provided.
What If I Fell on Snow or Ice?
You may have a claim, but snow and ice cases are highly dependent on the facts. How the condition developed, whether someone altered the natural accumulation, and what the responsible party did can matter. Photograph the area quickly because weather conditions can change and valuable evidence may disappear.
Should I Give the Insurance Company a Recorded Statement?
You should speak with your attorney before giving the property owner’s insurer a recorded statement. The adjuster may ask detailed questions about where you were looking, what you noticed, your medical history, and your injuries. Your answers can later be used to challenge liability or the value of your claim.
What If I Did Not Report My Fall Immediately?
You may still have a claim, but proving what happened can become harder. Preserve anything that supports your account, including photographs, receipts, text messages, witness information, and medical records. An attorney can investigate whether surveillance footage, employee records, or other evidence can confirm when and where you were injured.
Put DePaolo, Zadeikis & Pino to Work on Your Slip and Fall Case
The insurance company may already be investigating your fall and looking for ways to limit what it pays. You need evidence that shows what caused your injury, who was responsible for the property, and what the accident has cost you.
At DePaolo, Zadeikis & Pino, we investigate your claim, deal with the insurance company, and prepare your case with trial in mind. We represent injured people, and we do not charge upfront attorney fees.
Call DePaolo, Zadeikis & Pino at (312) 263-7560 for a free consultation with our Chicago slip and fall lawyers. Let us investigate your case, protect your rights, and fight for the compensation available for your injury.
Client Testimonials
“My father had a claim with Mark DePaolo. I have nothing, but nice things to say. He helped him out a lot especially his assistant Carmen. I would definitely recommend this Law firm to friends and family.”
“Donna Zadeikis did an awesome job for me. I am very satisfied. I will recommend DZ to all to my friends.”
“I was very happy with the legal.services I received. I will recommend Donna Zadeikis to my friends and neighbors for workers compensation and personal injury cases.”
