When you slip and fall on the sidewalk in Chicago due to hazardous conditions like snow, ice, or slippery substances, you may want to seek financial recovery for the losses you sustain due to your injuries. But who can you hold liable for sidewalk slip and fall injuries in Chicago?
Who Is Responsible for Maintaining Sidewalks in Chicago?
In Illinois, municipalities typically bear the responsibility for maintaining public sidewalks. City governments must repair sidewalks that become damaged due to crumbling cement, cracks in the pavement, or tree roots upturning sidewalk pavers. In Chicago, the city operates the Shared Cost Sidewalk Program. This voluntary program allows property owners abutting public sidewalks to share the cost of repairs with the city, which enables property owners to have damaged sidewalks located in a public right-of-way repaired more efficiently.
However, property owners bear the responsibility for maintaining sidewalks or walkways on their premises. For example, a residential complex owner must maintain the paved walkways between the buildings in its complex.
When Is the City Liable?
Depending on the conditions that cause a slip and fall accident, the Chicago city government may bear liability for a person’s injuries. However, under municipal ordinances, abutting property owners in Chicago have the responsibility for removing snow and ice from the sidewalks next to their properties. The city government may still bear liability for a slip and fall accident caused by snow and ice when the accident occurs on sidewalks abutting property owned by the city, such as public libraries, municipal buildings, police/fire stations, and public recreational facilities.
However, Illinois’ Local Government and Governmental Employees Tort Immunity Act governs the city of Chicago’s liability for slip and fall injuries that occur on public sidewalks. Under the Act, a person who suffers injuries in a slip and fall accident on a public sidewalk must submit a notice of their claim to the Chicago government within one year of their accident.
When Is a Property Owner Liable?
In Chicago, property owners or occupiers may bear liability for slip and fall injuries caused by snow and ice when an owner/occupier negligently fails to remove snow and ice from the sidewalks abutting their property. Under city ordinance, property owners must clear sidewalks within three hours when snow or ice stops falling before 4 p.m., except on Sundays. When snow or ice stops falling after 4 p.m. or on a Sunday, property owners must clear abutting sidewalks before 10 a.m. the following day. The municipal code requires property owners to clear a five-foot-wide path along the sidewalk (where conditions allow). Furthermore, property owners who abut sidewalks entering a crosswalk must clear the entrance to the crosswalk.
Compensation Available in Slip and Fall Cases
In a slip and fall accident claim, you may have the right to recover compensation for various losses you sustain due to your injuries, including for:
- Medical treatment and rehabilitation expenses, including emergency room care, surgeries, hospitalization, pain medications, and physical therapy
- Lost wages/income for time you miss from work while recovering from your injuries
- Lost future earning capacity if your injuries result in permanent impairments that prevent you from earning as much as you did before the accident
- Physical pain and anguish from your injuries and subsequent medical care (such as from surgeries)
- Emotional trauma or distress, including reduced quality of life due to disabilities or scarring/disfigurement from injuries
Contact a Slip and fall Lawyer Today
When you get hurt in a slip-and-fall accident on the sidewalk in Chicago, an experienced lawyer can help you identify the parties from whom you might seek compensation. Contact Saperstein Law Group today for a free, no-obligation consultation to discuss your legal options for financial recovery for your medical bills, lost income, and pain and suffering.