When I was nine years old, my father was catastrophically injured.
He was a truck driver, a Teamster, still a young man. That injury took everything from him. His neck, back and spine were permanently damaged. He was never the same.
But here's what really gets me angry, even today: His injury lawyer – the guy who was supposed to be fighting FOR him – dragged out his case for 17 years. At the end of those 17 years, that lawyer actually sued my father to get more money out of his settlement.
Can you believe that?
We grew up poor once my father could no longer work. And I watched him get run around by the insurance company, the defense lawyers, and even his own attorney who was supposed to be on his side.
So I became a slip and fall lawyer with one mission: Make damn sure that never happens to you or your family.
Last month, I got a call from a woman in Oak Brook. She'd slipped on black ice in the Oakbrook Center parking garage during the Christmas shopping rush. One second she was walking to her car with bags in hand, the next she was flat on her back with a shattered wrist and a concussion that wouldn't quit.
You know what made me furious? The property management company tried to blame her. Said she should have been "more careful." Claimed the ice was "obvious." They offered her twenty-five hundred bucks to cover her emergency room bill and told her that was "more than fair."
Her medical bills ended up over forty-five thousand dollars. She missed three months of work teaching at a school in Elmhurst. She still has numbness in two fingers that her doctor says may never fully come back.
As an Oak Brook slip and fall lawyer serving DuPage County for over 27 years, I see this same story play out constantly. Property owners and their insurance companies try to make injured people feel like the accident was their fault. They lowball settlement offers hoping you'll just take the money and disappear. They drag cases out, betting you'll give up.
That stops when you call me.
I do things differently than other Oak Brook slip and fall attorneys. I treat injured people like family. I answer my phone 24/7/365 – call me at 3 AM on a Sunday if you need to. I never use high-pressure sales tactics or chase clients around. We talk like friends, and you decide if you want to hire me. Either way, we end up as friends.
Call me right now at 312-500-4500. Any time, day or night. The consultation is completely free, and there's zero pressure.
Oak Brook is home to Oakbrook Center – one of the biggest shopping destinations in the Chicago area – plus hundreds of restaurants, hotels, office buildings, and residential properties. Unfortunately, that means slip and fall accidents happen all the time.
The mall gets massive foot traffic year-round. I've handled slip and fall cases at Oakbrook Center involving wet floors near entrances when it rains or snows, food court spills that weren't cleaned up, poor lighting in those parking structures, uneven pavement in the lots, and icy walkways that property management didn't properly salt or clear.
Shopping mall owners have a legal duty to maintain safe conditions for customers. When they fail to do that and you get hurt, they're liable for your injuries. Period.
I've represented clients injured at Nordstrom, Macy's, the restaurants in the dining pavilion, even the parking garages. These cases require moving fast because evidence disappears quickly – stores mop up spills, parking lots get repaved, surveillance footage gets recorded over.
Oak Brook has dozens of restaurants along 22nd Street and several major hotels including the Hilton, the Hyatt, and Le Méridien. Common slip and fall accidents at these properties? Greasy kitchen floors where employees walk, spilled drinks in dining areas, freshly mopped floors without warning signs, torn carpeting near entrances, broken stairs, and poorly lit parking areas.
Hotels and restaurants are considered "invitees" under Illinois premises liability law. That's legal talk meaning property owners owe you the highest duty of care. They can't just throw up their hands and say "sorry" when you get hurt on their property.
Oak Brook is home to major corporate offices. McDonald's had their world headquarters here for decades. Ace Hardware is here. Lions Clubs International. Plenty of others. Slip and fall accidents at office buildings often involve wet lobby floors during bad weather, defective elevators, broken handrails on stairs, inadequate lighting in stairwells, and icy building entrances that nobody salted.
Even if you're just visiting a building for a meeting or job interview, the property owner still owes you a duty of care to maintain safe conditions.
The parking structures at Oakbrook Center and other Oak Brook commercial properties can be downright dangerous. I've represented clients injured from potholes that'll swallow your wheel, uneven pavement that creates tripping hazards, poor lighting that makes you feel like you're walking through a cave, ice and snow accumulation nobody bothered clearing, oil spills from leaking cars, and crumbling concrete that's been neglected for years.
Property owners must regularly inspect and maintain parking areas. When they don't, and you get hurt because of it, they're responsible. The law is clear on this.
Property owners in Oak Brook are responsible for maintaining sidewalks right next to their property. This includes removing snow and ice in winter, repairing cracks and uneven surfaces, clearing debris like tree branches, and ensuring proper lighting at night.
The Village of Oak Brook also has responsibility for public sidewalks and walkways. These cases against municipalities require special notice procedures and strict deadlines, so you need to move fast if you're hurt on a public sidewalk.
I've helped Oak Brook residents injured at apartment complexes, condominiums, and rental properties due to broken stairs with missing treads, defective railings that give way when you grab them, poor outdoor lighting, icy steps and walkways, and crumbling walkways or driveways full of cracks.
Landlords and property management companies have a legal obligation to maintain safe premises for tenants and visitors. They can't just ignore problems and hope nobody gets hurt.
Beyond the mall, Oak Brook has shopping centers along Route 83, grocery stores, gas stations, banks, medical offices – all kinds of businesses. Common slip and fall hazards at these places include wet floors from tracked-in rain or snow, merchandise left in aisles creating tripping hazards, broken floor tiles, defective automatic doors, and poor lighting.
Business owners need to regularly inspect their premises and fix hazards. If they know about a dangerous condition – or should have known about it – and don't fix it, they're liable when someone gets hurt.
Look, Oak Brook and DuPage County have plenty of personal injury attorneys. You've seen the billboards on I-88 and Route 83. The TV commercials during the news.
So why should you call me instead of them?
Fair question. Here's my honest answer.
Some lawyers work both sides of the fence. They'll represent an injured person one week and defend a property owner the next week. Not me.
I have NEVER represented a property owner, insurance company, or corporate defendant in my entire career. Not once. Not ever.
I only represent injured people in Oak Brook, DuPage County, and throughout the Chicago area. Your fight is my fight, and I'm 100% on your side. Always.
That matters because I know every trick insurance companies use to deny slip and fall claims. I worked at a big defense firm early in my career (ugh!) and saw how they operate from the inside. My sympathies were always with regular people over big corporations, so I returned to doing injury work for injured people.
I'm a graduate of Gerry Spence's Trial Lawyers College – arguably the most prestigious trial advocacy program in America. I've also completed "The Edge," another elite training program for trial lawyers.
I've spent well over $100,000 and countless hours flying all over the country studying with the best trial lawyers in America. Not one in 10,000 lawyers has completed the training I have.
Why does this matter to you?
Because insurance companies know who the serious trial lawyers are. When they see my name on an Oak Brook slip and fall case, they know I'm not bluffing when I say I'll take them to court if they won't offer fair compensation.
That translates directly into better settlement offers for you. It's that simple.
I've had more than 30 jury trials and probably 100 arbitrations. I have more trial experience than lawyers twice my age because I'm not afraid to go to trial when my client's case merits it. In fact, most lawyers retire without ever even having half the trials I've had.
Insurance companies in Oak Brook and throughout DuPage County know this. They know I mean business.
When you call those big corporate law firms with the fancy TV commercials, you get shuffled to a paralegal or case manager. You might never actually speak with an attorney. Your calls go to voicemail. Your emails don't get answered for days.
That's not how I work.
When you're my client, you get my cell phone number. You can call me directly, any time – 3 AM on a Sunday, doesn't matter. And I actually answer. Because I remember what it was like when my father needed help and couldn't get anyone to call him back.
Got a smaller case? Some complications? Some challenges that make other lawyers nervous? Other Oak Brook slip and fall attorneys might tell you it's not worth their time or that you don't have a case.
I'll still take a look. Because I remember growing up poor after my father's injury. I remember what it's like to need help and get the door slammed in your face.
All law firms want large, easy-to-win cases. But large or small, I handle them all. That's been my commitment from day one, and it's not changing.
I never chase clients. I never hustle and harass people. I never use high-pressure sales tactics or make inflated promises about what your case is worth just to get you to sign.
We talk like friends. I explain your options honestly. I answer your questions. I tell you what I really think about your Oak Brook slip and fall case – the good and the bad.
And then YOU decide if you want to hire me. Your choice. No pressure.
Hiring a lawyer is your decision, and you should always work with the best slip and fall attorney who you like and trust. Never go with the high sales guys. They might be desperate for a case. And if they put pressure on you or act like a jerk, is that really the lawyer you want representing you?
If we end up working together, great. If not, that's fine too. Either way, we'll end up as friends. That's how I do business.
You don't pay me anything upfront. Not a dime.
No retainer. No hourly fees. No out-of-pocket costs for filing fees, medical records, expert witnesses, depositions, court reporters – nothing.
I advance all case costs myself. Every penny.
I only get paid if you get paid first. My fee is 33 1/3% in most slip and fall cases (or 40% if we have to file a lawsuit and go to court). These are standard rates set by law.
If I don't win your case? You don't owe me anything. Not one penny. I eat the costs I've advanced, and you walk away owing me nothing.
Pretty good deal, right?
Slip and fall accidents don't happen on a convenient schedule. You might need to talk to a lawyer at 10 PM on Saturday or 6 AM on Sunday morning after a fall at Oakbrook Center.
That's fine. Call me.
I answer my phone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Christmas morning? Yep. Thanksgiving night? Sure. 2 AM on a Tuesday? Call me. When you're dealing with the stress of a slip and fall accident and mounting medical bills, you shouldn't have to wait until Monday morning for answers.
Many people don't realize the full scope of compensation they're entitled to under Illinois premises liability law. Here's what you can potentially recover after a slip and fall in Oak Brook:
Every dime of your past medical expenses and all future medical costs related to the slip and fall – emergency room visits, ambulance rides if you needed one, hospital stays, surgery, physical therapy, chiropractic care, medications, medical equipment like crutches or a wheelchair, home health care, and any ongoing treatment you'll need for the rest of your life.
Don't let the insurance company tell you they'll only cover "reasonable" medical bills. Your doctor determines what treatment you need, not some insurance adjuster sitting in an office who's never even met you.
If the slip and fall accident caused you to miss work, you can recover those lost wages. If your injuries are permanent and affect your ability to earn income in the future, you can recover compensation for that lost earning capacity too.
We might be able to get you what's called a "wage differential" – which means that if you used to make $25/hour and now you can only earn $15/hour due to your injuries, we might be able to get you that extra $10 per hour for the remainder of your working life. That can be a lot of money, and it can really ease the financial strain. Obviously, this is complicated stuff, so this is not a promise without knowing more about your case.
The physical pain you've endured and will continue to endure. The chronic back pain that makes it hard to get out of bed. The headaches that won't go away. The shooting pain down your leg every time you try to walk. The constant ache in your shoulder.
Insurance companies hate paying for pain and suffering because there's no receipt or invoice. But Illinois law recognizes it's real and compensable, and I make sure you get every dollar you deserve for it.
This is often the biggest component of a slip and fall settlement, and insurance companies fight it tooth and nail. That's why you need a lawyer who knows how to prove and maximize pain and suffering damages.
Anxiety about going back to the place where you fell, especially if it's Oakbrook Center or somewhere you used to enjoy shopping. Depression from being unable to work or enjoy life. PTSD from the trauma of the fall. Fear and panic about falling again. Embarrassment about what happened.
These psychological injuries are just as real as broken bones, and they deserve compensation. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
If your injuries prevent you from activities you loved before the slip and fall accident – playing with your kids, going to the gym, traveling, gardening, whatever brought you joy – you can recover damages for that lost quality of life.
I've helped Oak Brook clients recover compensation for not being able to play golf anymore, not being able to attend their daughter's wedding because of mobility issues, not being able to go to White Sox games with their buddies. These things matter. Your life matters.
Permanent scars from the fall, especially on visible areas like the face, neck, and hands, can cause ongoing emotional distress and affect your self-confidence, your relationships, and even your career. These are compensable damages under Illinois law.
I've represented clients who fell on broken concrete or sharp metal edges at Oak Brook properties and suffered permanent scarring. The property owner is responsible for that.
Your spouse can make a separate claim for loss of companionship, intimacy, affection, and the support you used to provide your family due to your injuries. It's a separate claim with separate compensation.
This recognizes that slip and fall injuries don't just affect you – they affect your entire family.
Winning a slip and fall case in Oak Brook isn't automatic just because you fell and got hurt. You have to prove four critical elements under Illinois premises liability law:
We must show the property owner or business had a legal duty to maintain safe conditions. In most commercial properties in Oak Brook like Oakbrook Center, this is straightforward – businesses owe customers a high duty of care.
The law recognizes different levels of duty depending on why you were on the property. If you were a customer or invited guest (called an "invitee"), property owners owe you the highest duty. If you were just passing through (called a "licensee"), they owe you less. If you were trespassing, they owe you almost nothing.
We must prove the property owner knew or should have known about the dangerous condition and failed to fix it or warn about it. This is where evidence becomes critical.
How long was that water on the floor before you slipped? Did employees walk past it multiple times without cleaning it up? Was there ice in the parking lot for days that nobody salted? These are the questions we need to answer.
We must show a direct link between the property owner's negligence and your injuries. This requires medical evidence connecting your injuries to the fall, and often expert testimony from doctors.
The insurance company will try to claim your injuries are pre-existing or from something else. We need solid medical proof that the fall caused your current problems.
We must document your medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages with solid evidence. This means keeping every medical record, every bill, every receipt, every piece of paper related to your slip and fall.
Without documented damages, you don't have a case. It's that simple.
The steps you take in the next few hours and days after a slip and fall accident will dramatically affect your case value and your ability to recover compensation. Here's what I tell every Oak Brook client:
Even if you feel okay, go to the emergency room or urgent care right away. Some injuries like concussions, internal trauma, and soft tissue damage don't show symptoms immediately. You might feel fine right after the fall, then wake up the next morning unable to move.
Insurance companies will argue that if you didn't seek immediate medical treatment, you weren't really hurt. Don't give them that ammunition. Get checked out right away.
Go to Elmhurst Hospital, Advocate Good Samaritan, or Edward-Elmhurst Health if you're near Oak Brook. Just get evaluated by a doctor as soon as possible.
Tell the property owner, store manager, or security immediately. Make sure they write an incident report. Get a copy if possible. Get the name of the person you reported it to.
If they refuse to make a report, document that too. Write down who you talked to, what time, and what they said. This becomes evidence later.
Don't let them brush you off with "are you okay?" and send you on your way. Insist on a formal incident report.
This is critical. Take photos of the exact spot where you fell and what caused it – ice, water, debris, uneven pavement, whatever. Take photos from multiple angles. Take photos of your injuries if they're visible. Get photos of your torn clothing or damaged property.
Get contact information from any witnesses who saw what happened. Get their full names and phone numbers if possible.
Do this immediately if you can. Property owners have been known to "fix" dangerous conditions within hours of an accident to destroy evidence. That water puddle gets mopped up. That ice gets salted. That broken tile gets replaced. Then they claim there was never a hazard.
Keep the shoes and clothing you were wearing when you fell. Don't wash them. They can be critical evidence later showing the conditions when you fell.
Keep all medical records, bills, prescriptions, and receipts. Keep documentation of missed work. Keep everything related to your slip and fall in Oak Brook.
The property owner's insurance company will call you fast, usually within 24-48 hours. They'll act friendly and helpful. They'll say they just need to "get your side of the story" or "understand what happened."
DO NOT give them a recorded statement. Everything you say will be recorded and used against you to minimize or deny your claim.
One innocent statement like "I wasn't watching where I was going" can destroy your entire case, even if that's not what caused the fall.
Politely tell them you'll have your attorney contact them. Then call me at 312-500-4500.
The insurance company might send you documents to sign, especially medical authorization forms that give them access to your medical records.
DO NOT SIGN without having me review them first. These forms often give them access to your ENTIRE medical history going back decades – including psychiatric records, substance abuse treatment, everything.
They'll dig through your entire medical history looking for anything they can use to deny your slip and fall claim or reduce its value. Don't give them that opportunity.
This is huge. Anything you post on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, whatever – it can all be used against you in your Oak Brook slip and fall case.
A simple photo of you smiling at a family barbecue? The insurance company will claim you're not really injured or suffering. Checked in at a restaurant? They'll say you're not really in pain. Posted a photo from a friend's wedding? They'll argue your injuries aren't serious.
Just stay completely off social media until your case is resolved. I'm not kidding. I've seen good slip and fall cases get ruined because someone posted an innocent photo that the insurance company twisted into "proof" they were faking their injuries.
Get a full medical evaluation within 24-48 hours of the slip and fall, even if you went to the ER right after. Then attend every single appointment, complete all physical therapy sessions, and follow every treatment recommendation your doctor gives you.
Gaps in treatment give insurance companies ammunition to deny your claim. They'll say "Well, if she was really in that much pain, why did she miss four physical therapy appointments?"
I get it – life happens. You have to work. You have kids to take care of. Medical appointments are expensive. But do everything in your power to follow your doctor's orders, because your case depends on it.
If you're having trouble affording treatment, call me. I can help you find doctors in the Oak Brook and DuPage County area who will treat you on a lien.
Write down how you feel every day. Document your pain levels, what activities you can't do anymore, how your injuries affect your daily life, what medications you're taking, what side effects you're experiencing.
This journal becomes powerful evidence of your pain and suffering when we're negotiating your settlement or presenting your case to a jury.
The sooner you have an Oak Brook slip and fall lawyer on your side, the better. I can guide you through the entire process, preserve evidence before it disappears, handle all communications with insurance companies, protect your rights, and make sure you don't make any mistakes that hurt your case.
Call 312-500-4500 any time, day or night. The consultation is completely free, and there's zero obligation.
Find Out What YOUR Case Might Be Worth...for free.
Let me pull back the curtain and tell you exactly what happens when you file a slip and fall claim in Oak Brook or anywhere in DuPage County, so you know what you're up against.
The insurance company – whether it's State Farm, Allstate, Geico, Liberty Mutual, Travelers, or any of the others – has ONE goal: Pay as little as possible.
They're not evil. They're not monsters. They're just a business trying to maximize profit. And every dollar they pay YOU is a dollar less for their shareholders.
So here are the games they play with Oak Brook slip and fall victims:
This is their favorite tactic, and it works way too often.
They'll claim you weren't paying attention. You were looking at your phone. You were wearing inappropriate shoes. You should have seen the hazard. You were walking too fast. You were distracted.
Illinois follows "modified comparative negligence." If you're 50% or more at fault for the slip and fall, you recover nothing. Zero. If you're 30% at fault, your compensation gets reduced by 30%.
So insurance companies work overtime to inflate your percentage of fault for the Oak Brook slip and fall accident. I fight back hard against these blame-the-victim tactics.
Under Illinois law, property owners aren't liable for hazards that are "open and obvious." Insurance companies love to argue that ice, water, or whatever caused your fall was clearly visible and you should have avoided it.
But this defense isn't absolute. Even "open and obvious" hazards can create liability if the property owner should have eliminated them or if you were distracted by something else the property required you to do.
For example, if you fell on ice in the Oakbrook Center parking garage, they might claim the ice was "open and obvious." But if you were looking for your car or watching traffic, you might not have seen it. The property owner still had a duty to salt that ice.
They'll claim you're exaggerating or that your injuries are pre-existing. They'll hire their own doctors – doctors who work for insurance companies and get paid to minimize injuries – to examine you for 15 minutes and write a report saying you're perfectly fine.
Meanwhile, your own doctor who's been treating you for months says you have serious injuries and chronic pain. But the insurance company will believe their hired gun doctor over yours every single time.
That's why you need a lawyer who knows how to counter these hired gun doctors and prove your injuries are real.
Within days of your Oak Brook slip and fall, the insurance adjuster will call with a settlement offer. It'll usually cover your current medical bills (maybe) and a tiny bit extra – like $2,500 or $5,000.
They'll say things like "This is a fair offer" or "This is the best we can do" or my personal favorite: "If you hire a lawyer, they'll just take a third of the settlement anyway, so you might as well settle with us now and keep all the money."
It's all lies. Don't fall for it.
Once you sign that settlement release, it's over. Done. Finished. You can't come back three months later when you realize your back pain isn't going away. You can't ask for more money when you find out you need surgery. You're stuck with whatever they gave you.
They'll hire private investigators to follow you around Oak Brook and video you. They'll watch your house. They'll follow you to the grocery store. They'll document every move you make.
Picked up a bag of groceries at Jewel? They'll claim you're not really injured. Played with your grandkids at the park? They'll say you're faking. Went to church on Sunday? They'll argue your injuries can't be that serious.
It doesn't matter that picking up that bag of groceries put you in bed for three days afterward. They don't show that part in their surveillance video.
They'll comb through your Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn – every social media account you have. They're looking for any photo, any post, any comment they can use against you.
That's why I tell all my clients to stay completely off social media during their case. It's not worth the risk.
They know you need money. You have medical bills piling up. You're missing work and can't pay your mortgage. You're desperate.
So they drag their feet. They "need more information." They're "still investigating." They're "waiting for approval from the supervisor."
It's all deliberate. They're hoping you'll get so desperate that you'll accept whatever lowball offer they eventually make just to get SOMETHING to pay your bills.
That's exactly why you need me fighting for you from day one. I know all these tactics, and I counter them at every turn.
Most cases have a Statute of Limitations. For most slip and fall cases in Illinois, the deadline is 2 years after you were hurt.
There are many exceptions to this, and I encourage you to at least consult with me about this because if you blow this deadline, chances are, your case is over for good. Call me at 312-500-4500 for a free consultation.
Nothing upfront. Not a penny.
I work on a contingency fee on slip and fall cases – no fee unless I get you a settlement or verdict. It is industry standard (and set by law) one third (33 1/3%) up to 40% for slip and fall cases, depending on whether we have to go to Court or trial.
I even advance all case costs. In other words, the cost of getting your medical records, the cost of filing a lawsuit, paying your doctors for their depositions, hiring expert witnesses. Things like that. All of that is advanced by me.
This way, you never have any out of pocket costs to work with me. In fact, you never pay out of pocket. I only get paid if you get paid first.
Pretty good deal, right?
Very common question, but there is no way for me to tell you that without A LOT of information about your case.
Even then, there's a range of value depending on you as the client, the facts of the case, the severity of your injuries, your doctor, and your medical outcome once you have recovered as much as you can from your injuries.
This may be a disappointing answer, but it's the truth. And you'd better think twice before hiring someone who tells you that you have a million dollar case before knowing any of the details.
The best thing to do is call me at 312-500-4500 and we'll talk about your specific Oak Brook slip and fall accident and what it might be worth.
You can still recover compensation as long as you were less than 50% at fault. Illinois uses what's called "modified comparative negligence."
This means if you're 20% at fault for the Oak Brook slip and fall, you recover 80% of your damages. If you're 49% at fault, you recover 51% of your damages. But if you're 50% or more at fault, you recover nothing.
The insurance company will try to inflate your percentage of fault to pay you less. That's why you need a good slip and fall lawyer fighting for you. Even if you think you might share some blame, call me. Let me evaluate the situation.
Illinois has what's called the "natural accumulation rule." Property owners generally aren't liable for natural accumulations of ice and snow. But there are big exceptions to this rule.
If the property owner created the hazard – like piling snow in a walkway or letting water from their downspout create ice – they can be liable. If they partially cleared ice or snow and created a more dangerous condition, they can be liable. If enough time passed that they should have cleared it, they can be liable.
These cases are complicated, and the insurance company will fight hard claiming the natural accumulation rule applies. That's why you need an experienced Oak Brook slip and fall lawyer who knows how to overcome this defense.
Yes, absolutely. Oakbrook Center and the individual stores are responsible for maintaining safe conditions for shoppers. They have a duty to regularly inspect for hazards, fix them, or warn about them.
The key is proving they knew or should have known about the hazard before you fell. That's where evidence like surveillance footage, incident reports, and witness statements become critical.
Under Illinois law, property owners are liable if they either knew about the hazard OR should have known about it through reasonable inspection.
If water was on that floor for 30 minutes and employees walked past it multiple times, the owner should have known about it. If ice was in the parking lot for three days, the owner should have known about it.
We prove "should have known" through investigation – getting surveillance footage, interviewing witnesses, checking maintenance logs, and documenting how long the hazard existed before you fell.
I once settled a case in 30 minutes. I have settled several in several months. Most slip and fall cases that settle can take anywhere from 6 months to a year. If a case goes into suit and we have to file a lawsuit, it can be 2 years until we get a trial date.
I always push my cases forward, because you do not get paid waiting, and neither do I. I do not get paid anything out of your pocket on contingency fee cases, just when I win your case by settlement or verdict.
Once I know some more details of your Oak Brook slip and fall case, I'll be in a better situation to give you a time estimate.
When you have no insurance, a doctor can file a lien (pronounced "lean") which is a legal piece of paper saying that if you get money out of your lawsuit, the doctor has to be paid a portion of it for his bill.
The doctor does not have a "stake" in your case, because you still owe the doctor for the bills whether you win your case or not. The law limits how much they can get out of your settlement.
From here, it gets awfully complicated. I have a lot of experience working these things out, and it can get very complicated, beyond what I can answer in a brief FAQ.
If you have health insurance, use it for treatment after your slip and fall. Many times, my client's health insurers never contact them about being paid back for the medical care covered by the health insurance. When they DO contact my office or you, then yes, we do have to work out a deal with them. I handle that, and I can usually get you a pretty good deal.
Not a problem at all. But we must be 100% up front and honest about your medical condition before your slip and fall.
Even if you had the same or similar problem before, the law allows us to make a claim for the exacerbation of a pre-existing injury – for a problem becoming worse. The insurance company is going to find out about your prior injury anyway, and honesty is the best policy.
I know how to prove that the Oak Brook slip and fall made your condition worse and that you deserve compensation for it.
Hard to say, but maybe 2-3 times before the trial, and then you have to be present for the entire trial, start to finish. This is not the gospel, but it's a pretty good estimate.
That said, most cases settle. About 90% of my slip and fall cases settle without going to trial. But the reason they settle is because the insurance company knows I'm not afraid to go to court if they won't make a fair offer.
I represent people all the time who hire me AFTER they sign insurance papers and give a recorded statement on the telephone. Usually I can fix it. When I cannot fix it, we have to live with it and do the best we can.
It may not be a big deal at all – but it can be a case-killer depending on what you said. It is one of the first things I investigate once I take over a case.
That's why it's so important to call an Oak Brook slip and fall lawyer BEFORE you talk to any insurance adjuster. But if you already talked to them, don't panic. Call me and let's see what we can do.
NO. Call me first at 312-500-4500 before you accept anything.
Insurance companies make lowball offers hoping you'll take the money and go away. Once you sign that settlement release, it's over. You can't come back later for more money, even if your injuries turn out to be much worse than you thought.
Let me review any settlement offer before you accept it. The consultation is free. What do you have to lose?
You might be wondering: What does a slip and fall lawyer actually DO? Good question. Here's the honest answer:
You provide me the basics of how your Oak Brook slip and fall occurred, where it happened, who the witnesses are, what doctors you're seeing. You sign my initial paperwork, like information releases so I can get your medical records.
I always have clients sign a written agreement outlining our agreement in plain English. No tricks, no fine print, just a straightforward agreement.
Your job is to tell me if you change jobs or addresses or phone numbers, keep me updated as to your medical treatment, send me anything you get in the mail related to your injuries or the slip and fall, and cooperate with my office as we collect your medical records, bills, and other information necessary to push your case forward.
If we file a case, you might have to come to my office or the courthouse a few times, but the day-to-day heavy lifting is all done by my office.
Once you hire me, the insurance adjusters call ME, not you. You don't have to deal with their tricks and games anymore. You don't have to stress about saying the wrong thing or getting recorded saying something they'll use against you.
I become the buffer between you and the insurance companies. That's my job.
I get the incident report from the property owner. I interview witnesses who saw what happened. I visit the accident scene – whether it's Oakbrook Center, a restaurant, a hotel, wherever – and document the conditions. I review surveillance footage from the property. I gather all available evidence.
Sometimes I hire accident reconstruction experts to analyze exactly how the fall happened. I check weather records if ice or snow was involved. I look at the property's maintenance history and previous complaints.
I don't just take your word for what happened – I build a comprehensive case with solid evidence that proves your version of events and the property owner's negligence.
If you're having trouble finding doctors in the Oak Brook or DuPage County area who will treat you on a lien, I can help. If your health insurance is giving you problems covering treatment, I can help with that too.
If you have been injured in a slip and fall and want to get compensation for your injuries, you have to get treatment or there is no way to prove your case. I make sure you get the medical care you need.
I work with medical experts, economic experts, vocational rehabilitation specialists, and life care planners to determine exactly what your Oak Brook slip and fall case is worth – not just your current bills, but your future medical needs, your future lost earnings, your pain and suffering, everything.
Insurance companies will only look at what you've spent so far. I look at what you'll need for the rest of your life.
I don't settle cheap just to close the case and move on to the next one. I fight for every single dollar you deserve.
And insurance companies in Oak Brook and throughout DuPage County know that I'm willing to go to trial if they won't make a fair offer. That gives us serious leverage in negotiations.
Even though most slip and fall cases settle, I prepare every single case as if it's going to trial. That means developing a trial strategy, identifying and preparing witnesses, working with experts, creating demonstrative exhibits, and building the strongest possible case.
When insurance companies see that level of preparation, they usually make reasonable settlement offers rather than risk going to trial against me.
Slip and fall accidents can cause a wide range of injuries, from minor to catastrophic. Here are the most common injuries I see in Oak Brook slip and fall cases:
Wrists, ankles, hips, arms, legs – broken bones are extremely common in slip and fall accidents. You instinctively put your hands out to break the fall, which often results in broken wrists or arms. Hip fractures are especially common in older victims and can be life-threatening.
These injuries often require surgery, pins, plates, months of recovery, and can lead to permanent limitations.
The impact of hitting the ground can cause herniated discs, compressed vertebrae, spinal cord injuries, and chronic back pain. These injuries affect everything you do – sitting, standing, walking, even sleeping.
Insurance companies are pros at convincing a jury that back injuries are no big deal. You deserve an expert on your side to make sure your back injury is taken seriously.
Hitting your head when you fall can cause concussions, skull fractures, brain bleeds, and traumatic brain injuries. Sometimes the symptoms don't appear immediately, which is why you need to get checked out even if you feel okay after the fall.
Brain injuries can have lasting effects on your memory, concentration, personality, and ability to work.
The violent jarring motion of a fall can cause neck injuries ranging from temporary whiplash to serious damage requiring injections or surgery. These injuries can result in chronic pain and permanent limitations.
You never realize how much you use your shoulders until you injure one. Slip and fall accidents commonly cause rotator cuff tears, dislocations, and other shoulder injuries that require surgery and extensive rehabilitation.
Torn ligaments, meniscus tears, dislocated kneecaps, and fractures are common knee injuries from slip and fall accidents. These often require surgery and can lead to early arthritis.
Falling on broken concrete, sharp edges, or other hazards can cause deep cuts requiring stitches and leaving permanent scars, especially on visible areas like the face and hands.
Sprains, strains, torn ligaments, and muscle damage can be just as painful and limiting as broken bones, even though they don't show up on X-rays.
My main office is located in Oak Brook, but my Chicago office is located downtown, right across the street from the Workers Compensation Commission and the Courthouse. I regularly serve slip and fall victims throughout Oak Brook and the surrounding DuPage County communities.
You are going to want a lawyer who the insurance companies know can afford the expensive rent downtown. A lawyer who is ready, willing and able to fight and go to Court on your slip and fall case if there are any problems getting fair compensation.
Of course, I visit my clients all over Oak Brook, DuPage County, and the suburbs. We can meet at your home, at your office, at a coffee shop near Oakbrook Center – really, anywhere you're comfortable.
Or we can handle everything by phone, email, or Zoom if that's easier for you. You don't need to be tech-savvy to work with me. I accommodate whatever works best for you.
I serve slip and fall victims throughout Oak Brook and nearby communities including:
And throughout all of DuPage County and the western Chicago suburbs.
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.
Some people think they can handle their own slip and fall case and save the attorney fee. Let me explain why that's usually a bad idea:
Without years of experience handling slip and fall cases in Oak Brook and DuPage County, how would you know if a settlement offer is fair or not?
The insurance company does this every single day. You don't. It's not a fair fight.
I've been fighting insurance companies for over two decades. I know every trick, every tactic, every game they play to minimize or deny slip and fall claims.
You don't. And you'll get eaten alive trying to negotiate with them yourself.
One wrong statement to an insurance adjuster can ruin your entire case. They're trained to get you to say things that hurt your claim, and you won't even realize you're doing it.
Slip and fall cases often require experts to prove the property owner's negligence and the extent of your injuries. These include premises liability experts, medical experts, and economic experts.
You don't have relationships with these experts. I do. And I know which ones are credible and which ones are full of it.
Research consistently shows that people represented by lawyers recover significantly more money – even after paying attorney fees – than people who try to handle slip and fall cases themselves.
Why would you leave money on the table just to avoid hiring a lawyer, especially when it costs you nothing upfront and I only get paid if you get paid?
No matter how you got hurt in a slip and fall in Oak Brook, Elmhurst, Hinsdale, Downers Grove, or anywhere in DuPage County, I truly hope to hear from you to see how I can help.
You can call my office any time, night or day.
Why not get a free consultation?
Here's how it goes:
You call for free (or I can call you).
I listen to your story about the Oak Brook slip and fall.
I answer your questions & concerns.
I tell you my plan for your case.
You can hire me or not hire me, your choice.
Either way, we end up as friends.
Sound good?
The call and consultation are always 100% free and no obligation.
Please realize that I am here to help, whether you have a viable slip and fall case or not. Feel free to call.
I have handled thousands of personal injury cases of all types in Oak Brook and throughout DuPage County, and I've recovered millions for my clients. I can probably help you too.
Are you ready to talk about your Oak Brook slip and fall?
Give me a call or tell me about your case and I'll call you.
Call me right now at 312-500-4500.
I answer my phone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Call any time – 3 AM on a Sunday, 9 PM on a Saturday, Christmas morning, doesn't matter.
The consultation is 100% free. Zero obligation. We'll talk like friends about what happened in your Oak Brook slip and fall and whether I can help you.
You have nothing to lose and potentially everything to gain.
There is one particular slip and fall lawyer I'd like you to call. I'll let you guess who that is. (Yes, that's my sense of humor creeping in.)
But seriously – if you've been hurt in a slip and fall in Oak Brook or anywhere in DuPage County, don't wait. Don't let the insurance companies take advantage of you. Don't try to handle this alone.
Call me. Let me fight for you.
Your fight is my fight.
Find out if you have a good case, or a tough one...for free!
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
Chicago and Other Suburban Offices
By Appointment Only
