Chicago Broken Arm Injuries From Slip and Falls

A broken arm from a slip and fall is one of the most common, and most painful, outcomes of a fall on someone else’s property. Whether it happened on an icy sidewalk near Millennium Park, a wet grocery store floor in Lincoln Park, or a poorly maintained entryway in a River North office building, a broken arm can take you off work, drain your savings, and affect your daily life for months. If someone else’s negligence caused your fall, Illinois law gives you the right to pursue compensation. Understanding how that process works is the first step toward protecting yourself.

Table of Contents

• Why Broken Arms Happen in Chicago Slip and Fall Accidents
• Illinois Law and Property Owner Responsibility
• What Your Broken Arm Claim Can Cover
• The Illinois Statute of Limitations and Why Acting Fast Matters
• How Briskman Briskman & Greenberg Handles Broken Arm Slip and Fall Cases
• FAQs About Chicago Broken Arm Injuries From Slip and Falls

Why Broken Arms Happen in Chicago Slip and Fall Accidents

The human body reacts to a fall in a predictable way. When you feel yourself going down, your arms shoot out instinctively to break the impact. During a slip and fall, a person may put their arms out to break the fall, leading to a severe arm fracture. That reflex, while natural, transfers the full force of your body weight directly into your wrist, forearm, or elbow, often snapping one or more bones in the process.

Chicago’s environment creates conditions that make these falls happen far too often. Icy sidewalks along Michigan Avenue in winter, wet tile floors in Wicker Park restaurants, uneven pavement near CTA stations on the Blue Line, and greasy surfaces in commercial kitchens all create serious hazards. According to the National Floor Safety Institute, around 55% of slip and falls in the United States are caused by uneven or wet surfaces. Those surfaces are everywhere in a busy city like Chicago.

The fractures that result from these falls vary widely. A simple stable fracture may heal with a cast. A displaced fracture, where the bone snaps into two or more pieces, often requires surgical implantation of plates and screws. A compound fracture is a type of displaced fracture where the skin may be pierced by the bone. A comminuted fracture describes a displaced fracture where the bone shatters into three or more pieces. The more severe the fracture, the longer and more expensive the recovery, and the stronger your potential claim for compensation.

Age plays a significant role in how serious a broken arm can be. Osteoporosis is a disease that weakens bones, making them thin and brittle. For people with osteoporosis, even a minor fall may be dangerous. Older Chicagoans walking through the Loop or visiting family in Bridgeport face a much higher risk of a serious fracture from the same fall that might only bruise a younger person. That difference in severity matters when calculating the full value of your claim.

Illinois Law and Property Owner Responsibility

Illinois premises liability law is clear on this point: property owners have a legal duty to keep their properties safe for visitors. The Illinois Premises Liability Act requires property owners to maintain safe conditions and address hazards promptly to avoid liability for slip and fall injuries. That law covers grocery stores, apartment buildings, office complexes, parking garages, and any other property where people are lawfully present.

The duty of care a property owner owes depends on why you were on the property. An invitee enters the property for the owner’s commercial purpose or mutual benefit, such as customers, clients, and patrons. Property owners owe invitees the highest duty of care to keep the premises reasonably safe, including inspection and warning of dangers. If you slipped on a wet floor at a South Loop retail store or fell on broken pavement in a Pilsen parking lot, you were almost certainly an invitee, meaning the owner owed you the highest standard of care.

To hold a property owner responsible for your broken arm, you need to show four things. First, a dangerous condition existed on the property. Second, the owner knew about it, or should have known. Third, the owner failed to fix it or warn you about it. Fourth, that failure caused your injury. The property owner failed to take reasonable steps to fix the problem or provide proper warning. Even if a property owner didn’t directly cause the hazardous condition, they can still be liable if they failed to act once they became aware of it.

Illinois also uses a modified comparative negligence rule. Under a modified comparative negligence system, if you’re found partly to blame for the fall, your percentage share of the total negligence reduces your personal injury damages by that amount. But only when you aren’t mostly to blame. When you’re more than 50% at fault, you get nothing. This means even if a defense lawyer argues you were partially responsible for your fall, you may still recover compensation as long as your share of fault stays below 51%.

What Your Broken Arm Claim Can Cover

A broken arm injury touches nearly every part of your life. You can’t drive. You can’t work. You can’t pick up your kids, cook a meal, or get dressed without help. Illinois law recognizes that, and it allows injured people to seek compensation for all of these losses, not just the medical bills.

Medical expenses are the most obvious category. Healthcare.gov reports that even with insurance, bone fracture surgery can cost $10,000 out of pocket. If the bone is severely broken, a complex surgery may cost up to $50,000. Add physical therapy, follow-up appointments, imaging, and prescription medications, and the total can climb quickly. Your claim can cover all of it, including future medical costs if your arm requires ongoing treatment or additional procedures.

Lost wages are another major component. A broken arm can sideline you for weeks or months, depending on the type of work you do. If you work in construction, healthcare, food service, or any other hands-on field, you may not be able to return to your job at all during recovery. Illinois law allows you to recover the income you lost and, in serious cases, the earning capacity you’ve permanently lost.

Pain and suffering damages address the physical pain and emotional toll of the injury. A broken arm hurts, and recovery is often a long, frustrating process. Courts and insurance companies in Illinois consider the severity of the fracture, the length of recovery, and how the injury has changed your daily life when calculating these damages. If your arm healed with a permanent deformity, limited range of motion, or chronic pain, those long-term effects add significant value to your claim.

Working with a Chicago personal injury lawyer at Briskman Briskman & Greenberg gives you the best chance of identifying and documenting every category of loss. Insurance companies routinely undervalue these claims. Having an attorney on your side changes the dynamic.

The Illinois Statute of Limitations and Why Acting Fast Matters

Time is not on your side after a slip and fall injury in Chicago. Illinois gives you two years to file a personal injury lawsuit. That deadline is set in stone by Illinois statute 735 ILCS 5/13-202, and Illinois courts take it seriously. Miss that deadline, and your case is gone, no matter how strong the evidence is or how serious your injuries are.

Two years may sound like plenty of time, but the clock starts ticking on the day of your injury. And if your fall happened on property owned by the City of Chicago or another government entity, the deadline is even tighter. If you slipped and fell on a broken sidewalk owned by the City of Chicago, you need to send written notice to the City of Chicago Department of Law within six months of the injury. Miss that notice requirement, and you lose your right to sue the city entirely.

Beyond the legal deadlines, acting quickly matters for your evidence. Surveillance footage from stores, restaurants, and CTA stations gets overwritten within days or weeks. Witnesses forget what they saw. The hazard that caused your fall gets repaired, and no one documents what it looked like before. The sooner you contact a Chicago slip and fall lawyer, the better your chances of preserving the evidence you need to build a strong case.

Medical records matter too. Getting treatment immediately after your fall does two things. It protects your health, and it creates a documented link between the fall and your broken arm. If you wait days before seeing a doctor, the defense will argue your injury happened somewhere else or was pre-existing. Don’t give them that opening.

How Briskman Briskman & Greenberg Handles Broken Arm Slip and Fall Cases

Briskman Briskman & Greenberg has been fighting for injured Chicagoans for decades. The firm handles slip and fall cases across the city, from the Gold Coast to Englewood, from the Chicago Riverwalk to the neighborhoods surrounding Midway Airport. When you call, you get attorneys who know Illinois premises liability law and who understand what it takes to prove a case against a property owner or their insurance company.

The firm investigates every angle of your case. That means gathering incident reports, tracking down surveillance footage, interviewing witnesses, and working with medical professionals to document the full extent of your broken arm injury. Insurance adjusters often move fast to get a quick, low settlement. Having an attorney in your corner means you don’t have to accept the first offer, or any offer that doesn’t fully compensate you for what you’ve been through.

The attorneys at Briskman Briskman & Greenberg handle cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay nothing unless they recover compensation for you. There’s no financial risk in making the call. If you broke your arm in a slip and fall on someone else’s property, whether it was a Hyde Park apartment building, a Logan Square restaurant, or a Lakeview retail store, you deserve to know your rights.

Attorneys serving clients across the Chicago area also handle cases in surrounding communities. If your injury occurred outside the city, a slip and fall attorney serving the broader Illinois region can help you understand your options. Clients in the western suburbs have also worked with a slip and fall attorney who handles cases in Berwyn and nearby communities. For those in the northwest suburbs, a slip and fall lawyer serving Mount Prospect and the surrounding area can review your case. And for clients in the Des Plaines area, a slip and fall lawyer familiar with local courts and property liability issues is ready to help.

Contact Briskman Briskman & Greenberg today for a free consultation. Tell us what happened, where it happened, and how your arm was injured. We’ll tell you exactly what your case is worth and what your next steps should be.

FAQs About Chicago Broken Arm Injuries From Slip and Falls

What types of arm fractures are most common in slip and fall accidents?

The most common arm fractures from slip and falls include fractures of the wrist, forearm, and elbow. These typically happen when a person reaches out to catch themselves during a fall. Fractures range from stable breaks, where the bone stays aligned, to comminuted fractures, where the bone shatters into multiple pieces. More severe fractures often require surgery, hardware implantation, and extended physical therapy. The type of fracture you suffered directly affects the value of your injury claim.

Can I still file a claim if I was partly at fault for my slip and fall in Chicago?

Yes, in most cases. Illinois follows a modified comparative negligence rule under 735 ILCS 5/2-1116. As long as your share of fault is 50% or less, you can still recover compensation. Your damages are reduced by your percentage of fault. For example, if you were found 20% at fault and your damages total $100,000, you would recover $80,000. An attorney can help you challenge attempts by the defense to inflate your share of responsibility.

How long does it take to settle a broken arm slip and fall case in Illinois?

The timeline varies based on the severity of your injury, how clearly liability can be established, and whether the case settles or goes to trial. Cases involving serious fractures that require surgery and extended recovery often take longer because it’s important to wait until you’ve reached maximum medical improvement before settling. Settling too early can leave you short on compensation if complications arise. Most slip and fall cases in Illinois resolve within one to two years, though some take longer.

What evidence should I gather after breaking my arm in a slip and fall?

Gather as much evidence as possible at the scene. Take photos of the hazard that caused your fall, whether it was a wet floor, broken pavement, or an icy walkway. Get the names and contact information of any witnesses. Report the incident to the property owner or manager and ask for a copy of the incident report. Seek medical treatment immediately and keep all records. Also note the date, time, and exact location of the fall. This evidence forms the foundation of your premises liability claim.

Does Illinois workers’ compensation cover a broken arm from a slip and fall at work?

If you broke your arm in a slip and fall while performing your job duties, Illinois workers’ compensation under 820 ILCS 305 may cover your medical expenses and a portion of your lost wages. Under the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act, arm injuries are specifically compensated as scheduled losses, with compensation periods defined by statute. In some situations, you may also have a separate premises liability claim against a third party who controlled the property where the fall occurred. An attorney can help you determine which claims apply to your situation and how to pursue both effectively.

More Resources About Types of Slip and Fall Injuries (Medical)

• Chicago Traumatic Brain Injuries From Slip and Falls
• Chicago Concussions From Slip and Fall Injuries
• Chicago Skull Fractures From Slip and Falls
• Chicago Spinal Cord Injuries From Slip and Falls
• Chicago Back Injuries From Slip and Falls
• Chicago Herniated Disc Injuries From Slip and Falls
• Chicago Paralysis From Slip and Fall Injuries
• Chicago Broken Hip Injuries From Slip and Falls
• Chicago Hip Fractures From Slip and Falls
• Chicago Broken Wrist Injuries From Slip and Falls
• Chicago Broken Leg Injuries From Slip and Falls
• Chicago Knee Injuries From Slip and Falls
• Chicago Shoulder Injuries From Slip and Falls
• Chicago Soft Tissue Injuries From Slip and Falls
• Chicago Internal Injuries From Slip and Falls
• Chicago Facial Injuries From Slip and Falls
• Chicago Dental Injuries From Slip and Falls
• Chicago Fatal Slip and Fall Injuries
• Chicago Wrongful Death From Slip and Fall Injuries