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Aurora, IL Slip and Fall Attorney
A slip and fall accident can happen to anyone, anywhere, at any time. You could be walking through the Fox Valley Mall on New York Street in Aurora, stepping into a store on Galena Boulevard, or crossing a wet floor at a local restaurant near the Chicago Premium Outlets, and suddenly find yourself on the ground in serious pain. These accidents are not just embarrassing moments. They can cause broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, and life-changing disabilities. If a property owner’s carelessness caused your fall, you have legal rights under Illinois law, and Briskman Briskman & Greenberg is ready to help you fight for the compensation you deserve.
Table of Contents
- Why Slip and Fall Accidents Are So Serious in Aurora, IL
- Illinois Law and Your Rights as an Injured Visitor
- Common Causes of Slip and Fall Accidents in Aurora
- What to Do After a Slip and Fall Accident in Aurora
- How Illinois Law Determines Compensation in Slip and Fall Cases
- FAQs About Aurora, IL Slip and Fall Accidents
Why Slip and Fall Accidents Are So Serious in Aurora, IL
Aurora is Illinois’s second-largest city, home to roughly 200,000 residents spread across Kane, DuPage, Kendall, and Will counties. With busy commercial corridors along Route 59, high-traffic areas near Waubonsie Valley and the downtown riverfront, and long Illinois winters that bring ice and snow, the risk of a slip and fall accident is real and constant. These accidents happen in grocery stores, parking lots, apartment buildings, restaurants, and sidewalks all across the city.
The numbers tell a serious story. In the United States, unintentional falls are the leading cause of injury and injury death among adults aged 65 years and older. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that more than 800,000 people require hospitalization annually due to slip and fall injuries, such as a hip fracture or head wound. Right here in Illinois, the picture is equally concerning. Even in Illinois, the state with the lowest estimate of nonfatal falls, approximately one fifth of older adults reported falling, with the percentage at 19.9% in 2020.
Falls are not minor inconveniences. Slip and fall accidents can lead to a wide range of injuries, with bone fractures occurring in approximately 5% of cases, hip fractures being the leading cause of hospitalization following a fall, and slips and falls being the most common cause of traumatic brain injuries. If you suffered any of these injuries at a property in Aurora, you may have a valid claim under Illinois law. Reach out to a Chicago slip and fall lawyer at Briskman Briskman & Greenberg to learn what your case may be worth.
Illinois Law and Your Rights as an Injured Visitor
Illinois has clear laws that protect people who are injured on someone else’s property. The Illinois Premises Liability Act (740 ILCS 130) sets the legal standard that property owners must follow. Under this law, property owners and occupiers owe a duty of reasonable care to people lawfully on their property. That means they must maintain the property in a reasonably safe condition, warn of known dangerous conditions that are not open and obvious, and take reasonable steps to fix hazards they knew about or should have known about.
Think about what that means in practical terms. If you slipped on an unmarked wet floor at a store near the Aurora Transportation Center on Broadway Avenue, the store owner had a legal duty to either clean up that spill promptly or post a warning sign. If they failed to do either, they may be held liable for your injuries. The same applies to icy sidewalks near apartment complexes along Indian Trail Road, broken pavement in parking lots near Westfield Fox Valley, or poorly lit stairwells in commercial buildings downtown.
Illinois also follows a modified comparative negligence rule under 735 ILCS 5/2-1116. This means that if you were partly at fault for your fall, your compensation is reduced by your percentage of fault. However, as long as your share of fault is 50% or less, you can still recover damages. Property owners and their insurance companies often try to shift blame onto injured victims to reduce what they owe. Having a skilled legal team on your side helps push back against those tactics. Briskman Briskman & Greenberg handles slip and fall cases throughout the greater Chicago area, including Aurora, and can help you build a strong claim from the start.
Common Causes of Slip and Fall Accidents in Aurora
Slip and fall accidents do not happen by accident in the legal sense. They happen because someone failed to do their job of keeping a property safe. In Aurora, some of the most common causes include wet or slippery floors inside retail stores and restaurants, icy sidewalks and parking lots during winter months along major roads like Orchard Road and Eola Road, broken or uneven pavement near high-traffic areas like the Hollywood Casino Aurora, poorly maintained stairways in apartment buildings and commercial properties, and inadequate lighting in parking garages or building entrances.
Construction zones are another major concern. Aurora is a growing city with ongoing development projects near the downtown riverfront and along the I-88 corridor. Construction sites often have a variety of slipping and tripping hazards, including loose cables and wires, unstable temporary walkways, and clutter and debris left in walkways. Workers and pedestrians alike can be seriously hurt when contractors fail to keep these areas safe.
Grocery stores and shopping centers are also common locations for these accidents. A spill in an aisle that goes uncleaned, a freshly mopped floor without a warning sign, or a shopping cart that blocks a walkway can all lead to serious falls. For invitees like customers, store owners must regularly inspect, clean up spills, remove hazards like snow and ice, provide warning signs, and take reasonable precautions to prevent foreseeable slip and fall accidents. When they do not, they can be held accountable. If you were hurt in any of these situations, contact Briskman Briskman & Greenberg. Our team also serves clients in surrounding communities, including as a Mundelein slip and fall lawyer and as an Oak Lawn slip and fall lawyer.
What to Do After a Slip and Fall Accident in Aurora
The steps you take right after a slip and fall accident can make or break your legal claim. Evidence disappears fast. Security footage gets overwritten. Witnesses move on. Wet floors get cleaned up. You need to act quickly and carefully to protect your rights.
First, get medical attention right away, even if you feel okay in the moment. Some injuries, like traumatic brain injuries or internal bleeding, do not show obvious symptoms right away. A medical record also creates an official link between the accident and your injuries, which is critical for your claim. Go to Rush Copley Medical Center in Aurora or the nearest emergency room as soon as possible.
Second, document everything you can at the scene. Take photos of the hazard that caused your fall, the surrounding area, any warning signs (or the lack of them), and your injuries. If anyone witnessed your fall, get their contact information. Report the incident to the property owner or manager and ask for a copy of any incident report they create.
Third, do not give a recorded statement to the property owner’s insurance company without speaking to an attorney first. Insurance adjusters are trained to ask questions that can be used to reduce or deny your claim. They may seem sympathetic, but their job is to protect the insurance company’s bottom line, not yours. Briskman Briskman & Greenberg can handle all communication with insurers on your behalf. We also serve clients in the south suburbs as an Orland Park slip and fall lawyer, so no matter where you are in the greater Chicago area, we are here to help.
How Illinois Law Determines Compensation in Slip and Fall Cases
When a slip and fall claim is successful in Illinois, the injured person can recover several types of damages. These include medical expenses for past and future treatment, lost wages if the injury kept you out of work, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life. In cases involving severe or permanent injuries, the compensation amounts can be substantial.
Illinois law under 735 ILCS 5/2-1117 addresses how liability is shared when multiple parties are at fault. Under this statute, all defendants found liable are jointly and severally liable for a plaintiff’s past and future medical and medically related expenses. Any defendant whose fault is 25% or greater of the total fault is jointly and severally liable for all other damages as well. This matters because it means that even if one defendant has limited resources, another may be required to cover a larger share of the judgment.
Illinois also sets a deadline for filing a personal injury lawsuit. Under 735 ILCS 5/13-202, you generally have two years from the date of the accident to file your claim. Missing this deadline almost always means losing your right to compensation entirely. If your accident happened on government property near Aurora City Hall or a public park like Phillips Park along Lake Street, special notice requirements and shorter deadlines may apply. Do not wait to take action. Nationally, the medical costs attributed to nonfatal and fatal falls amount to approximately $50 billion every year. The financial impact of a serious fall is real, and you should not have to bear that burden alone when someone else’s negligence caused your injury. Contact Briskman Briskman & Greenberg, your trusted Chicago personal injury lawyer, to discuss your options in a free consultation. We also serve clients across the region as personal injury attorneys in Chicago with decades of experience fighting for injured people throughout Illinois.
FAQs About Aurora, IL Slip and Fall Accidents
How long do I have to file a slip and fall lawsuit in Aurora, IL?
Under Illinois law (735 ILCS 5/13-202), you generally have two years from the date of your accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. If your fall happened on government-owned property, such as a city sidewalk or public building in Aurora, special notice requirements may shorten that window. Missing the deadline almost always means losing your right to recover any compensation, so it is important to speak with an attorney as soon as possible after your accident.
What do I need to prove to win a slip and fall case in Illinois?
To win a premises liability claim in Illinois, you must show that the property owner owed you a duty of care, that they breached that duty by failing to maintain the property in a reasonably safe condition, that their failure directly caused your fall and injuries, and that you suffered actual damages as a result. Evidence like photos, witness statements, incident reports, and medical records all help establish these elements. The stronger your evidence, the better your chances of a successful outcome.
Can I still recover compensation if I was partly at fault for my fall?
Yes, in many cases you can. Illinois follows a modified comparative negligence rule under 735 ILCS 5/2-1116. If you are found to be partially at fault for your accident, your compensation is reduced by your percentage of fault. So if you are found 20% at fault and your damages total $100,000, you would recover $80,000. However, if you are found to be more than 50% at fault, you cannot recover any compensation at all. Property owners and their insurers often try to argue that you share the blame, which is why having an experienced attorney matters.
What kinds of compensation can I recover after a slip and fall accident?
If your slip and fall claim is successful, you may be able to recover compensation for your medical bills, including future treatment costs, lost wages if your injuries kept you from working, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life. In cases involving severe injuries like spinal cord damage or traumatic brain injuries, the value of a claim can be significant. An attorney can help you calculate the full extent of your damages so you do not settle for less than you deserve.
Does Briskman Briskman & Greenberg handle slip and fall cases outside of Chicago?
Yes. Briskman Briskman & Greenberg handles slip and fall cases throughout the greater Chicago metropolitan area, including Aurora and many surrounding communities. Whether your accident happened near the Fox Valley Mall, along a busy commercial strip on Route 59, or at a residential property anywhere in the Chicago area, the firm is available to evaluate your case. The firm offers free consultations and handles personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay no attorney fees unless your case results in a recovery.
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