Trip On A Curb? Can You Sue?
Trip On A Curb? Can You Sue? Call Any Time: 312-500-4500 Can You Sue If You Trip on A Curb? Trip on a curb? I got an email from a…
Look, if you got hurt because a property owner didn't take care of their place, you deserve to be compensated. Period.
I'm Scott DeSalvo, and I've been a premises liability lawyer in Chicago for close to three decades. Whether you slipped and fell at a store in Lincoln Park, got hurt at a restaurant in Wicker Park, or were injured at an apartment building in the Loop, I know how to handle these cases. I've represented thousands of people injured by negligent property owners throughout Cook County, and I know exactly how to hold them accountable under Illinois law.
Here's the deal: you pay nothing out of pocket, and I don't collect a fee until I win your case. That's not a sales pitch—that's how I've built my practice since day one.
I answer my phone 24/7/365 because injuries don't happen on a schedule. You shouldn't have to wait days for a Chicago injury lawyer to call you back when you're hurting and worried about bills piling up.
Call me right now at (312)-500-4500 and let's talk about what happened and what I can do to help.
In plain English, premises liability means that property owners in Chicago have a legal duty of care to keep their places reasonably safe for people who visit.
That includes stores, restaurants, apartment buildings, office buildings, private homes—basically anywhere you might go in Cook County.
When a property owner doesn't maintain their property or doesn't warn you about dangerous conditions and hazardous conditions, and you get hurt because of it, they're responsible under Illinois law. They have to pay for your injuries.
Sounds simple, right? But insurance companies will do EVERYTHING they can to avoid paying you what you deserve. That's where a Chicago premises liability lawyer comes in.
I've handled thousands of injury cases in Chicago and Cook County. I know the tricks insurance companies pull, and I know how to beat them at their own game.
Illinois premises liability law is pretty clear about what property owners owe to visitors. But here's what most people don't know—it depends on WHO you are when you're on their property.
If You're a Customer or Invited Guest - Property owners owe you the HIGHEST duty of care under Illinois law. They have to actively look for dangerous conditions, fix hazardous conditions, and warn you about hazards you might not see. This includes customers in Chicago stores, people eating at restaurants, and anyone the property owner invited onto their property.
If You're a Social Guest - Let's say you're at a friend's house for dinner. The property owner still has a duty of care to warn you about dangers they know about, but they don't have the same duty to go looking for problems.
If You're Trespassing - Generally, property owners don't owe trespassers much. BUT there's a big exception under Illinois law: children.
The "Attractive Nuisance" Rule for Kids
This one trips up a lot of Chicago property owners. If you have something on your property that's going to attract kids—a swimming pool, a trampoline, construction equipment, whatever—you HAVE to take steps to keep kids safe, even if they're not supposed to be there.
A wandering child doesn't have the same judgment as an adult. Property owners know this, and Illinois premises liability law holds them responsible when they don't protect kids from obvious dangers.
I've handled these cases, and they're heartbreaking. If your child was hurt on someone else's property anywhere in Chicago or Cook County, call me immediately at (312)-500-4500. We need to act fast to protect your child's rights under the Illinois statute of limitations.
I handle ALL kinds of premises liability cases in Chicago and throughout Cook County. Here are the most common:
These Chicago premises liability cases are more complicated than people think. Whether you slipped on a wet floor at a grocery store, tripped over broken pavement, or fell because of poor lighting, the key is getting the evidence FAST before it disappears. I know exactly what to look for and how to prove property owner negligence. --> Read More <--
Illinois has strict liability laws about dog bites. If a dog bit you on someone's property in Chicago, the owner is responsible—period. It doesn't matter if the dog never bit anyone before. Your injuries matter, and you deserve compensation. --> Read More <--
Falling objects, broken stairs, defective elevators, collapsing structures—I handle all of it. Chicago has a lot of old buildings, and property owners sometimes cut corners on maintenance. When that happens and someone gets hurt due to these dangerous conditions, I hold them accountable. --> Read More <--
Retailers have a duty of care to keep their stores safe. That means clean floors, clear aisles, secure displays, and proper lighting. When stores on Michigan Avenue, State Street, or anywhere in Chicago don't maintain safe conditions and create hazardous conditions, customers pay the price. I make sure the stores pay instead. --> Read More <--
Chicago's restaurant scene is incredible—from River North to Chinatown to neighborhood spots all over the city. But restaurants have to ensure safe conditions for diners. Wet floors, uneven surfaces, inadequate lighting—these cause serious injuries. As an experienced premises liability lawyer in Chicago, I hold restaurants accountable. --> Read More <--
Illinois has something called Dram Shop laws. Basically, if a bar or restaurant over-serves someone who's drunk, and that drunk person hurts you, the establishment can be held responsible. These Chicago premises liability cases are complicated, but I've handled them successfully many times. --> Read More <--
To win your premises liability case in Chicago, I have to prove four things under Illinois law. Here's the breakdown in plain English:
1. The Property Owner Owed You a Duty of Care - This means they had a legal responsibility to keep the property reasonably safe. Business owners owe the highest duty of care to customers under Illinois law. I establish exactly what duty they owed you.
2. They Breached That Duty of Care - They didn't do what they were supposed to do. Maybe they ignored a broken stair, didn't clean up a spill, failed to provide adequate security, or let dangerous conditions exist even though they knew about the hazardous conditions. I prove they dropped the ball.
3. Their Failure Caused Your Injury - I connect the dots between the dangerous condition and your injury. I gather evidence—photos, surveillance video, witness statements, expert testimony—to prove you wouldn't have been hurt if they'd fulfilled their duty of care.
4. You Suffered Real Damages - You have medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, maybe permanent injuries. Chicago's medical costs aren't cheap, and missing work can devastate your finances. I fight to get you compensated for ALL of it.
I investigate EVERY Chicago premises liability case thoroughly. I photograph scenes, interview witnesses, get surveillance footage before it's erased, and bring in experts when needed.
Property owners have lawyers and insurance companies protecting them. You need a Chicago premises liability lawyer protecting YOU.
The steps you take after your injury can make or break your case. Here's exactly what you need to do:
Get Medical Attention Immediately - I don't care if you think it's "not that bad." Get checked out. Chicago has great hospitals—Northwestern Memorial, Rush, and others. Document EVERYTHING. The insurance company WILL use any delay in treatment against you.
Report It to the Property Owner or Manager - Tell them what happened and make sure they write it down. Get a copy of any accident report. This creates an official record of the hazardous condition before they can cover their tracks.
Take Photos of the Dangerous Condition - Use your phone. Photograph the hazard, your injuries, the area, lighting conditions, everything. Get pictures of what caused your fall BEFORE they fix it. Once they repair it, that evidence is gone forever.
Get Witness Names and Numbers - If anyone saw what happened, get their contact info. Witnesses disappear fast.
Call a Chicago Premises Liability Lawyer BEFORE You Talk to Insurance - This is CRITICAL. The property owner's insurance company will contact you fast. They'll act friendly and concerned. Don't fall for it. They want you to say something they can use against you. I handle all conversations with insurance companies from day one.
Don't Wait—Illinois Has a 2-Year Statute of Limitations - In Illinois, you have TWO YEARS from the date you were injured to file a premises liability lawsuit. Miss that statute of limitations deadline, and your case is OVER. No exceptions. Evidence disappears, witnesses forget, property owners fix hazardous conditions. The sooner I start working on your case, the better.
And remember: you pay nothing unless I win. I can start working immediately with zero out-of-pocket costs while you're recovering.
Find Out What YOUR Case Might Be Worth...for free.
When I was nine years old, my father was catastrophically injured at work. His injury case dragged on for 17 years. At the end of it, his own lawyer sued him for more fees.
I saw how the system treats regular people. I saw how insurance companies work people over. And I decided that what happened to my family would NEVER happen to anyone I represent.
That's why I became a premises liability lawyer in Chicago. Not to get rich. Not to work for insurance companies. But to fight for people like you, like my family, who deserve better.
Some lawyers represent injured people one day and insurance companies the next. Not me. I have NEVER represented an insurance company or a defense client in a premises liability case. Ever.
I only represent injured people. That's my promise, and that's been my entire career.
I don't just practice law—I study it constantly. I've invested over $100,000 in advanced training and flown all over the country to study with the best trial lawyers in America. I'm a graduate of the world-renowned Gerry Spence Trial Lawyer's College and the prestigious KTI "The Edge" program.
Not one in 10,000 lawyers has completed the training I have. Why did I do it? So YOU get the absolute best representation when your Chicago premises liability case is on the line.
I've practiced as a Chicago premises liability lawyer for over two decades. I know the judges, I know the opposing lawyers, I know which insurance companies play fair and which ones fight dirty. That local knowledge matters when it's YOUR case under Illinois law.
Maria from Pilsen fell through a rotted porch at her rental apartment. Her landlord had ignored her repair requests for months, letting the dangerous condition persist. We documented the building code violations and got her compensation for her medical bills, lost wages from her restaurant job, and pain and suffering.
James from Lincoln Park was shopping on Michigan Avenue when a heavy display fell on him. The store's insurance company said it was his fault—that he should have seen the hazardous condition. We got the surveillance video proving the display wasn't properly secured and won his case.
The Rodriguez family from Logan Square called me after their elderly father was attacked in his apartment building's parking garage. The security gates were broken, the lights didn't work, and the management company had been ignoring complaints about these dangerous conditions for months. We held them accountable under Illinois premises liability law.
These are real people I've helped. My clients write reviews for me in their own handwriting, and they're on file at my office for anyone to see.
In Illinois, the statute of limitations for premises liability cases is TWO YEARS from the date of your injury. That's it. Miss that statute of limitations deadline and your case is over forever under Illinois law. Evidence disappears fast—surveillance footage gets erased, witnesses move away, property owners fix hazardous conditions. Don't wait. Call me NOW at (312)-500-4500.
Under Illinois law, property owners have a duty of care to keep their places reasonably safe and warn visitors about dangerous conditions. Business owners in Chicago have the highest duty of care—they have to actively look for hazardous conditions and fix them. The law holds them responsible when they breach this duty of care.
Medical bills, hospital costs, doctor visits, therapy, medications, lost wages, lost future earnings, pain and suffering, emotional distress, permanent injuries, scarring, loss of enjoyment of life. In really bad cases involving especially reckless property owners, we can sometimes get punitive damages under Illinois law.
I fight to get you EVERY dollar the law allows in your premises liability case.
Illinois has a rule called "modified comparative negligence." Basically, as long as you're less than 51% at fault, you can still recover money in your Chicago premises liability case. But your compensation gets reduced by your percentage of fault.
Here's the thing—insurance companies ALWAYS try to blame injured people. "You should have been more careful." "You should have seen it." That's their playbook. As your Chicago premises liability lawyer, I know how to fight back.
Look, Illinois law doesn't REQUIRE you to have a lawyer for your premises liability claim. But let me ask you this: Do insurance companies have lawyers? You bet they do. Lots of them. And those lawyers' entire job is to pay you as little as possible.
So you can try to fight a billion-dollar insurance company by yourself, or you can hire a Chicago premises liability lawyer who's been fighting them for 20+ years and knows Illinois law inside and out.
And since I work on contingency—no fee until we win—there's zero financial risk in hiring me.
Nothing out of pocket. Zero. I work on contingency, which means I only get paid if YOU get paid first in your premises liability case.
My fee is 33 1/3% for personal injury cases (that's the industry standard in Illinois). If we have to file a lawsuit or go to trial, it goes up to 40% (also standard).
I also advance all case costs—filing fees, medical records, expert witnesses, all of it. If we lose (which almost never happens), you don't pay me back. If we win your Chicago premises liability case, those costs come out after I take my fee.
You NEVER pay anything out of your pocket. Period.
I've settled Chicago premises liability cases in months. I've had some take over a year. If we have to file a lawsuit in Cook County and go to trial, it can take 2 years or more under Illinois court schedules.
But here's what I can promise you: I push EVERY case as hard as I can. You don't get paid waiting around, and neither do I. I'm motivated to get you results FAST.
As a Chicago premises liability lawyer, I represent injured people throughout the city and surrounding areas, including:
Downtown Chicago: Loop, River North, Gold Coast, Streeterville, West Loop
North Side: Lincoln Park, Lakeview, Wicker Park, Bucktown, Logan Square, Andersonville, Uptown, Rogers Park
South Side: Pilsen, Bridgeport, Hyde Park, Bronzeville, South Loop, Chinatown, Beverly
West Side: Little Italy, Ukrainian Village, Humboldt Park, Garfield Park, Austin
Cook County Suburbs: Evanston, Skokie, Oak Park, Cicero, Berwyn, and all surrounding areas
No matter where you got hurt on someone else's property in the Chicago area, I can help with your premises liability case.
Here's how a free consultation works with me:
No pressure. No sales pitch. We just talk like friends.
And here's the thing—even if you decide not to hire me, we'll still end up as friends. That's how I do business.
Call me right now: (312)-500-4500
I answer 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
Don't wait. In Illinois, the clock is ticking on your two-year statute of limitations, and evidence of dangerous conditions and hazardous conditions disappears fast.
Remember:
You've already been hurt once by a negligent property owner. Don't let an insurance company hurt you again.
Call me now and let's talk about what happened and how I can help with your Chicago premises liability claim.
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Hiring Scott was one of the best moves I have made in my life. Scott is a down to earth person and attorney. Scott is a 5 star first class act who really knows his stuff. The Judge said his presentation was one of if not the best he had ever seen. Take my advice, hire Scott I’m sure you’ll be 200% satisfied I was.
Scott not only cares about the case, but he truly cares about his clients and that makes him the best lawyer I have ever met and hired! He won my case! He is thorough in everything he does. I highly recommend Scott, and will always refer him to family and friends.
I hired Scott DeSalvo upon a friend’s recommendation. His office kept me informed of developments as they happened, and I felt the settlement reached was fair considering my injuries. I would highly recommend Scott DeSalvo to represent your personal injury case.
Main Office:
1000 Jorie Blvd Ste 204
Oak Brook, IL 60523
New Cases: 312-500-4500
Office: 1 312-895-0545
Fax: 1 866-629-1817
service@desalvolaw.com
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