This is the next post in my series on the handling of premises liability cases in Peoria, Illinois. My last article provided an overview of topics which this series will be addressing. It also stressed the need to immediately contact a personal injury attorney if you have been injured on another’s property. It is important that you contact counsel sooner, rather than later, as immediate steps must be taken to preserve evidence. Failing to do so has the potential of hurting your chances for recovery. In this article I will discuss another important topic when property owners may, and may not, be responsible for injuries on their property. If you are in need of assistance then contact my office today to speak with a lawyer.
Illinois property owners must take reasonable steps to keep their space safe for the public
Property owners and operators in the state of Illinois must take reasonable steps to keep their space safe for the public. The important takeaway from this rule is that they are not required to keep the property one hundred percent safe at all times – such would not be possible. Instead, they are only required to act reasonably. What is “reasonable” will be determined on a situation-by-situation basis. Actions which a grocery store must take, for example, would be different than those of a restaurant. If the operator of a facility fails to take appropriate measures to keep their area safe, and someone is injured as a result of that failure, then the victim may have a right to bring suit.
The foregoing concepts are best explained by way of example. Suppose a grocery store has a policy of checking the aisles for spills every hour. If a spill is found then a “wet floor” sign is put out and a store associate is immediately sent to clean it up. Also, suppose that checking the aisles, each hour, is considered standard for the industry. Fifteen minutes after an aisle is checked, milk is spilled and a customer immediately slips. Under this scenario, the store would likely not be liable for the fall as the fall happened immediately after the spill. Now suppose, for example, that the store had not inspected the aisle for more than an hour and security footage showed that the spill had happened some time ago. Under this scenario, the store would likely be liable. While how the jury will rule, in any given situation, is always going to depend on the facts of the case, these examples show how the reasonableness of a defendant’s actions will determine liability.
Contact a Peoria slip & fall attorney if you have been injured
If you or a family member have been injured on another’s property then it is important that you immediately retain counsel. As a Peoria accident lawyer, I am experienced in handling slip and fall cases. My office will immediately contact the property manager and demand that all evidence be preserved. We will then begin building a case while you focus on the important business of being healthy. We take pride in the level of service we provide and will give your case the attention it deserves. Contact us online or by telephone today. My office also serves clients in the Illinois cities of Bloomington, Eureka, Galesburg, Morton, Normal, Pekin, Springfield, and Washington.
