When you visit a store, restaurant, or any commercial establishment, you expect a safe environment. Unfortunately, preventable accidents at businesses can lead to devastating, life-altering injuries. If you or a loved one has suffered a severe injury at a place of business in Missouri or Illinois, understanding your legal rights is crucial. At Sansone & Lauber, we are dedicated Missouri and Illinois personal injury attorneys with extensive experience in premises liability cases, helping victims secure the compensation they deserve.
The Law: Premises Liability in Missouri and Illinois
Both Missouri and Illinois law hold property owners and occupiers responsible for maintaining reasonably safe premises for their visitors. This area of law is known as premises liability. It means that businesses have a duty to identify and address potential hazards that could cause harm. When they fail to uphold this duty, and someone is injured as a direct result of their negligence, the business may be held liable for damages.
Key elements we investigate in a premises liability claim include:
- Dangerous Condition: Was there a hazardous condition on the property? This could be anything from a wet, unmarked floor to a broken handrail, inadequate lighting in a parking lot, or even negligent security leading to an assault.
- Knowledge of the Hazard: Did the property owner or their employees know about the dangerous condition, or should they have known about it through reasonable care and inspection? This is a critical point in proving negligence.
- Failure to Remedy or Warn: Did the business fail to fix the hazard or at least provide adequate warning to visitors?
- Causation and Damages: Did this dangerous condition directly cause your injuries, and have you suffered quantifiable damages as a result?
Different types of visitors are owed varying levels of care. For instance, customers (known as “invitees”) are generally owed the highest duty of care, meaning businesses must actively inspect and remedy hazards.
Severe Injuries: The Impact and the Fight for Justice
Severe injuries can include:
- Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI)
- Spinal Cord Injuries
- Broken Bones requiring surgery
- Amputations
- Serious burns
- Permanent disfigurement
These injuries often lead to immense physical pain, emotional distress, and significant financial burdens. Medical bills can quickly accumulate, and victims may face long-term rehabilitation, lost wages, and a diminished quality of life. This is where an experienced Missouri injury lawyer or Illinois personal injury attorney becomes invaluable.
At Sansone & Lauber, we understand the profound impact severe injuries have on individuals and their families. We meticulously gather evidence, including incident reports, medical records, witness statements, and photographic/video evidence, to build a strong case. We also work with experts to determine the full extent of your injuries and the long-term care you will require.
Potential Financial Results: Maximizing Your Compensation
While every case is unique and personal injury settlement amounts vary widely, the goal in severe injury cases is to secure maximum compensation to cover all your losses. This can include:
- Medical Expenses: Past and future medical bills, including emergency room visits, hospital stays, surgeries, prescriptions, physical therapy, and assistive devices.
- Lost Wages: Income lost due to time away from work, and potential loss of future earning capacity if your injury leads to long-term disability.
- Pain and Suffering: Compensation for the physical pain, emotional distress, and mental anguish caused by your injuries.
- Disability and Disfigurement: Compensation for any permanent impairments or scarring.
- Loss of Enjoyment of Life: Damages for the inability to participate in activities you once enjoyed.
- Punitive Damages: In rare cases where the business’s conduct was exceptionally reckless or malicious, punitive damages may be awarded to punish the at-fault party and deter similar conduct.
We also consider how comparative fault laws in Missouri and Illinois might affect your case. Both states operate under a form of comparative negligence, meaning your compensation could be reduced if you are found to be partially at fault for the accident. However, our expertise ensures that your degree of fault is minimized, and your rights are protected.
Recent reports and surveys indicate that severe injury cases, especially those involving catastrophic injuries like brain or spinal cord damage, can result in settlements ranging from hundreds of thousands to several million dollars in both Missouri and Illinois. For example, some sources suggest spinal cord injury settlements can exceed $1 million, and traumatic brain injury cases can reach several million. While these are broad averages and not guarantees, they highlight the potential for substantial recovery in severe injury claims.
Why Choose Sansone & Lauber?
When facing a severe injury, you need an attorney who will not only fight tirelessly for your rights but also treat you with compassion and personal dedication. Ben Sansone, with his background even defending insurance companies, uniquely understands their tactics and knows how to counter them effectively. Our firm has a proven track record of securing multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements for our clients in significant cases.
Don’t just take our word for it – hear directly from clients like Katie M., who, after a serious fall at a public place, found Ben Sansone to be “great” and someone who “really has a lot of pride to settle his cases for as much as possible.” Or Clarence and Gerry Watson, who describe Mr. Sansone as “a very personable, caring, efficient attorney” who “protected us from a predatory company.”
If you’ve suffered a severe injury at a place of business in Missouri or Illinois, don’t delay. The sooner you act, the stronger your case can be. Evidence can disappear, and witnesses’ memories fade. Contact the experienced personal injury lawyers at Sansone & Lauber today for a free, confidential consultation. We work on a contingency basis, meaning you pay no attorney fees unless we win your case.
Visit our website at www.missourilawyers.com or call us at 314-863-0500 to discuss your case. Let us help you navigate the complexities of premises liability law and fight for the justice and financial recovery you deserve.
Site by Consultwebs.com: Law Firm Website Designers/Personal Injury Lawyer Marketing.