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Most incidents involving an accident that happens on another person’s land occur on the commercial property. This includes shopping malls, movie theatres, sports arenas, and grocery stores. These venues have a legal duty to take reasonable steps to protect their visitors from harm.
If a visitor is injured when on this property and they can demonstrate that the owner’s negligence contributed to the injury, they have the right to demand compensation. This can include demanding payment for all medical costs, lost money from an inability to work, and the emotional toll that the injury has taken on their lives.
An Oak Lawn commercial property premises liability lawyer could help hold negligent landowners and their insurance companies liable for injuries that happen on their land. A dedicated premises liability attorney could fiercely advocate for your rights so you can get fair compensation.
Commercial landowners must take reasonable care to prevent injuries to their visitors. According to 740 ILCS130/2, this standard applies to all invited visitors onto all property owners’ land. This eliminates the distinction that many other jurisdictions make between business visitors and personal visitors.
However, this rule only applies to visitors who receive an invitation to enter the business. Most shoppers or patrons do in fact have this permission. Stores that are open extend an implied invitation to the public at large. Sports arenas and movie theatres give express permission for ticketed people to enter.
However, if an individual enters the store after hours, or loiters after being asked to leave, the landowner rescinds this permission and the visitor becomes a trespasser.
Trespassers cannot use the statute to hold property owners responsible. Instead, they can only collect compensation if the landowner intentionally harms them or acts with extreme recklessness. This only applies in a very small amount of premises liability cases.
Any injury that happens due to a defect on land can be the source of a premises liability case. This typically includes:
However, merely alleging that an injury happened on commercial property is not enough to win a case. A plaintiff must also prove that steps taken by the landowner contributed to the injury or that their failure to fix a hazard caused the injury. Ultimately, a jury will decide if the behavior of the landowner was a reasonable attempt to protect the plaintiff.
An Oak Lawn commercial property premises liability lawyer could help by gathering evidence concerning the injury. This includes any surveillance footage of the incident, any repair requests or work orders filed by employees concerning the defect, photos taken of the scene, and doctor reports concerning the source of the injury.
Injuries that happen on commercial property are among the most common sources of personal injury cases in Illinois. These landowners carry a legal duty to take reasonable steps to protect all invited visitors from harm. When they fail in this duty, and visitors are injured, they are required to pay compensation. This compensation can include payments for medical bills, lost wages, and emotional distress.
An Oak Lawn commercial property premises liability lawyer could help you stand up for your rights against negligent landowners. Lawyers work to gather evidence, apply that evidence to Illinois law, and demand maximum compensation from commercial property owners and their insurance companies. Contact an attorney today to schedule a consultation.