Every 20 minutes in the United States, a fall causes injuries to the elderly, and unfortunately many die from those injuries. As this group continues to age and grow, so does the number of people who are susceptible to fall-related injuries. Falls are a threat to the health of older adults because a bad fall can reduce their ability to remain independent. However, if you or your loved one suffered a slip, trip, or fall due to someone else’s negligence, an Illinois attorney can help.

Why Is a Fall So Dangerous for Elderly People?

One out of five falls cause a severe injury that can include broken bones or hip fractures.

Head injuries are the most serious especially if the person is taking blood thinners. An older person who falls and hits their head should see their doctor right away to make sure they do not have a brain injury.

Winters in the Chicago area can be dangerous. Large amounts of snowfall, below-freezing temperatures that last for weeks at a time, and other weather conditions can lead to slippery surfaces that may cause slip-and-fall accidents. These accidents can result in multiple types of serious injuries, including broken bones, dislocated joints such as wrists or knees, whiplash, concussions and other traumatic brain injuries, and other forms of bodily harm. In these situations, injury victims will often wonder who was responsible for an accident, and they will want to determine their options for pursuing compensation from a property owner or another party who acted in a way that put them at risk of harm. By understanding how Illinois law addresses these cases, victims can determine their options for seeking compensation for damages such as medical expenses, lost income, and pain and suffering.

Liability for Slip-and-Fall Injuries Caused by Snow and Ice

While property owners or managers are often required by city ordinances to clear snow and ice from sidewalks and other walking surfaces, the laws in Illinois provide them with some protection from liability. In most cases, a property owner cannot be held liable for their efforts to clear snow and ice from sidewalks abutting their property, and this immunity also extends to property managers, tenants, occupants, or other agents who perform snow removal work. Because of this, property owners are usually shielded from liability in cases where slip-and-fall accidents take place because snow or ice naturally accumulated.

Many cases involving slip-and-fall injuries rest on the question of whether snow or ice accumulated naturally. A natural accumulation may include snow that fell during a snowstorm or ice that formed due to cold temperatures or freezing rain. However, if snow or ice accumulated unnaturally, a property owner may be liable for slip-and-fall accidents. For example, if the gutters on a building were not properly maintained, this may have caused water to drip onto a sidewalk below, causing ice to form unnaturally and creating a dangerous slipping hazard. In these cases, a property owner may be liable for slip-and-fall injuries.

Most families with young children look forward to Halloween as a fun time for the kids to dress up and collect some candy. Trick-or-treating is a fun tradition for participants, parents, and observers alike. However, there is also a certain amount of risk that comes with children in masks charging onto people’s property to their front door in the hopes of getting some candy. Not all homeowners are as cautious as they should be when preparing for trick-or-treaters.

If you or your child was injured due to a dangerous condition on someone else’s property, you need to speak with an attorney as soon as possible. Property conditions can change quickly, and you will want a lawyer to begin collecting evidence quickly.

How Does Negligence Cause Trick-or-Treat Injuries?

When a person invites trick-or-treaters to come onto his property, he has a duty to make sure it is reasonably safe for them to enter. This means that there should be a safe and well-lit path from the street to the spot the homeowner is handing out candy. Because most trick-or-treaters are children, the landowner must consider that children lack the judgment and caution most adults possess and take extra care to keep his property safe for them.

Tens of thousands of deliveries are made every day to homes, businesses, restaurants, and warehouses. Shopping and ordering food online is so easy and inexpensive that most of us do not think twice before we ask someone to come onto our property to deliver something.

Unfortunately, people making deliveries sometimes suffer personal injury on private property. Slip and fall accidents, dog bites, tripping over uneven walkways or scattered toys, and injury by falling snow or ice are all common ways delivery drivers are injured.

In this article, we will answer some common questions about premises liability law insofar as it relates to delivery drivers. If you are a delivery driver and have been injured while making a delivery on private property, contact a personal injury attorney right away.