Lockport Slip and Fall Lawyer Asks:
Did You Get Injured?
Call The Lockport Slip and Fall Lawyer ANY TIME!
312-500-4500
"My Injury Guy" Scott DeSalvo
Trial-Trained Slip and Fall Lawyer for Lockport & Will County
A fall can happen in a second, and the injuries can last for years. Broken wrists, hip fractures, head injuries, and back injuries are common, and older adults are especially at risk.
Lockport has its own fall hazards. The historic downtown along State Street has older buildings, steep steps, and uneven walkways. Stores and restaurants along Route 7 have busy parking lots that freeze over in winter. And apartment complexes across town have stairways and walkways that need constant upkeep.
Here's what surprises most people: in Illinois, a property owner usually isn't responsible for a fall on snow or ice that built up naturally. But when the owner made the ice worse, such as with a leaking gutter, a bad drainage spot, or careless plowing, the rules change. Many valid claims are dropped because people assume "it was just ice."
I'm Scott DeSalvo, and I've handled injury cases for almost 30 years. For other kinds of injuries, see my Lockport personal injury attorney page.
You pay nothing up front, and there's no fee unless we win. Call me any time at 312-500-4500.
My dad, a truck driver and Teamster, was hurt on the job when I was nine. His lawyer treated him like a nuisance, dragged out his case for seventeen years, and then sued him for more fees.
Fall victims often get the same treatment from insurance companies: dismissed and blamed. I take these cases seriously because the injuries are serious.
Free. Not legal advice, and no attorney-client relationship is created by this chat. Prefer to talk? Call (312) 500-4500, answered 24/7.
Downtown Lockport's historic buildings are part of its charm, but older stairs, worn thresholds, and uneven sidewalks can be dangerous. Property owners still have to keep them reasonably safe.
Snow melts during the day and refreezes at night. Water dripping from a gutter or draining across a parking lot can create a sheet of black ice in exactly the same spot every morning. That's often an unnatural accumulation, and the owner can be responsible.
Illinois law requires property owners to use reasonable care to keep their premises safe for people lawfully there (740 ILCS 130/2). That means fixing hazards they know about, or should know about, and warning visitors of dangers that aren't obvious.
If you fell on a city sidewalk or other public property, special rules apply under the Tort Immunity Act. The public body generally must have known about the defect, and you usually have only one year to file (745 ILCS 10/8-101).
Bottom Line: "It was icy" isn't the end of the story. Why it was icy often is.
Wet floors, spilled products, loose mats, and poorly lit entrances.
Potholes, broken curbs, and ice caused by poor drainage or plowing.
Broken stairs, missing handrails, and poorly maintained walkways. Landlords must maintain common areas.
Sidewalks, parks, and municipal buildings, with a shorter deadline to file.
Picture this. Every morning, water from a broken downspout drains across the sidewalk outside a shop on State Street and freezes. You step out of your car, hit the ice, and break your ankle. The owner's insurer says ice is a natural winter hazard. But the ice formed because of the broken downspout the owner never fixed, and that can make all the difference.
Look, premises liability insurers rely on a few standard defenses:
Here's what most lawyers won't tell you: the most important evidence in a fall case often disappears within days. The spill gets mopped, the ice melts, and the surveillance video gets recorded over. Photos taken right away and a fast preservation letter can make or break your case.
Bottom Line: Evidence in fall cases has a short shelf life.
Most fall cases settle, and that's typically the best result for you.
Insurers settle fall cases fairly when they believe your lawyer can win at trial. I'm a graduate of Gerry Spence's Trial Lawyers College and the exclusive Keenan Trial Institute, with more than $100,000 invested in advanced trial training and more than 30 jury trials.
You pay nothing to hire me. I advance the costs, and I'm paid only from what I recover. The FAQ lists the fee percentages.
Illinois doesn't cap pain and suffering. You can still recover if you were partly at fault, as long as you were 50% or less responsible.
Find Out What YOUR Case Might Be Worth...for free.
Call me for a free consultation. I'll tell you honestly whether the property owner can be held responsible.
If you hire me, I send preservation letters, gather photos and video, get incident reports, and document your injuries. Once your treatment is complete, I negotiate. If the insurer won't pay fairly, I file suit in the Circuit Court of Will County.
Hurt in a fall in Lockport? Call 312-500-4500 any time.
Evidence fades fast, and the insurance company has already started working on its side of the story. Call me for a free consultation, 24/7/365. No money out of pocket. No fee unless we win.
Nearest office: The Law Office of Scott D. DeSalvo, LLC, 116 N Chicago St, Suite 301 - Kendall, Joliet, IL 60432, about 15 minutes from Lockport. Monday–Friday, 10 a.m.–3 p.m., and by appointment.
Call me now: 312-500-4500
There's no upfront charge. My fee is contingent, so you pay nothing out of pocket and I'm paid only from what I recover: 33⅓% for most cases, or 40% if a lawsuit is filed. I front the costs of your case. No recovery, no fee. Call 24/7/365 at 312-500-4500 for a free consultation.
It depends on why the ice was there. Illinois property owners generally aren't liable for natural accumulations of snow and ice. But they can be responsible if they caused or worsened the ice, for example through a defective gutter, poor drainage, or careless snow removal. Residential owners who shovel their own sidewalks also have some protection under the Snow and Ice Removal Act (745 ILCS 75), unless they acted willfully or wantonly.
That's a common defense, but it doesn't automatically end your case. Illinois courts recognize exceptions, such as when a person is distracted or when it's necessary to encounter the hazard to get where you need to go. The facts matter.
Claims against a city or other public body follow the Tort Immunity Act. The public entity must generally have had notice of the defect (745 ILCS 10/3-102), and you usually must file within one year (745 ILCS 10/8-101). Act quickly.
Most Illinois premises liability lawsuits must be filed within two years of the fall (735 ILCS 5/13-202). Falls on government property usually have a one-year deadline.
Photos of the hazard, the incident report, witness names, surveillance video, and your medical records. Video is often recorded over within days, so it's important to request it immediately.
Scott DeSalvo founded DeSalvo Law to help injured people throughout Chicago and surrounding suburbs. Licensed to practice law in Illinois since 1998, IARDC #6244452, Scott has represented over 3,000 clients in personal injury, workers compensation, and accident cases.
No Fee Unless You Win | Free Consultation | 24/7 Availability Call or Text: (312) 500-4500
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