Premises Liability Lawyers In Illinois: Understanding Inadequate Maintenance
Were you assaulted in a parking garage where security measures for patrons were outdated or nonfunctioning? Did you fall in a dark hallway with burned-out light fixtures in an office building? In whatever way you were injured in a poorly maintained place, you should get legal counsel for help pursuing compensation for your injuries.
At Marker & Crannell, our premises liability attorney in Naperville reviews and handles injury cases involving insufficient security. It is our mission to get maximum compensation for the harm you suffered. Contact us today at 630-912-6009 to schedule a free consultation.
When Premises Liability Means There Was Inadequate Maintenance
Premises liability is a legal principle that says owners and occupiers can be held liable for accidents or injuries that occur on their property. Inadequate maintenance is a type of premises liability claim that applies to situations where a person is injured as a result of a property owner’s failure to keep their property in good repair.
Property owners owe a duty of care to people who enter their property and must take steps to maintain it in a safe condition or warn visitors of any hazards. If they fail or are negligent in doing so and a person is injured as a result, the owner may be held liable.
To establish an inadequate maintenance case, a plaintiff (the injured party) usually must show that the owner or occupier knew or should have known the hazard existed and failed to fix it or adequately warn of it. The plaintiff also usually needs to show that they wouldn’t have been injured if the hazard had been fixed.
In an inadequate maintenance case, a plaintiff can sue for compensatory damages, including medical expenses and lost income, as well as pain and suffering.
Examples Of Inadequate Maintenance On Properties In And Near Naperville
We are trial lawyers in Naperville and Aurora with more than 35 combined years of experience. We understand community standards of upkeep as well as tendencies of local courts and juries in injury cases. For our clients’ benefit, we skillfully and aggressively pursue compensation when they have been seriously injured on premises showing inadequate maintenance. Some examples include:
- Broken locks and fixtures
- Loose roof tiles
- Poor lighting
- Broken windows and doors
- Exposed wires
- Rotting stairs or floorboards
- Large display shelves that haven’t been fixed to the wall
- Fallen merchandise
If a visitor to a private or business premises is injured as a result of one of these issues, they may have a premises liability claim against the property owner.
Property owners or business owners owe a duty to maintain the property for safety purposes in Illinois. Inadequately doing so can result in compensable damages.
If you have been injured and filed a claim, the insurance company and even the property owner may fight the allegations to minimize or avoid paying you. A premises liability lawyer can help protect your right to be fairly compensated.
Fault And Inadequate Maintenance In Illinois
Personal injury law and its effects on liability for inadequate maintenance vary between states and will depend on the specific facts of a case.
Generally, both individual and business owners may be liable for inadequate maintenance. In many situations, tenants may also be liable. Similarly, a condo or homeowners’ association can be liable for injuries sustained in common areas where they knew or should have known about the hazard, or they created it.
In some limited circumstances, an owner may be able to show that a third person, such as a contractor or the plaintiff, was partially or wholly responsible for the injury. A plaintiff may be partially responsible for their injury where they failed to exercise reasonable care for their safety.
In some states, the plaintiff’s status is also relevant when assessing liability. For example, many states limit the circumstances in which an owner owes a duty of care to trespassers.
Contact A Premises Liability Attorney About Your Inadequate Maintenance Injury Case
If you’ve been injured as a result of a hazard on someone else’s property, consult with a premises liability attorney. Laws concerning injuries and inadequate maintenance can be complex, especially in terms of whether or not a duty of care exists and who is liable in a particular set of circumstances.
A premises liability attorney at our Naperville- and Auroras-based law firm can review your case and advise you whether you have grounds to sue the property owner to recover damages. We are accomplished trial attorneys who know the local upkeep standards as well as the legal landscape.
To add your name to our booking calendar, please call Marker & Crannell today at 630-912-6009 or fill out our online contact form to schedule a free consultation. If you wish to waive the initial intake process, please consider the option of completing this form prior to our meeting. We are here to help, no matter where you are.