Black Friday Shopping Injuries Are a Premises Liability Issue

 Posted on November 22, 2017 in Blog Post

While many individuals and families in the Chicago area have made the shift to online retailers for searching out Black Friday deals and savings, thousands upon thousands will still make in-person visits to local stores, shopping centers, malls, and other businesses. With so many people flocking to areas of commerce to acquire the most sought-after items at the lowest prices, commotion and congestion will inevitably produce accidents and injuries. Businesses, even amidst the hustle and bustle of Black Friday, have a duty to protect customers – even mere potential customers – from injuries on their premises. When you have suffered an injury on unsafe or ill-maintained premises, an experienced Park Ridge premises liability attorney will work to obtain compensation for the harms that you have suffered.

The Duty Owed by Businesses to Customers Represents an Elevated Standard

One might think that businesses deserve a break observing rules and regulations on a hectic occasion such as Black Friday. Such a conclusion would be entirely incorrect, however. Businesses, at all times – including peak shopping days or hours – are duty-bound to their customers to provide safe premises. Under Illinois law, customers, whether making a purchase or merely looking around, are classified as “invitees.” The duty owed to invitees by businesses is elevated beyond even the duty we owe to one another as individuals to refrain from intentionally or negligently causing harms.

Premises Liability Issues Include a Variety of Hazards

The scope of premises liability issues is wide. Depending on the nature of a given business, harms that occur on business premises include:

• Slip and fall injuries;
• Dog bites;
• Fires;
• Flooding;
• Elevator or escalator accidents;
• Damaged or improperly maintained floor, sidewalks, or staircases;
• Porch or deck collapses;
• Missing or broken railings;
• Amusement park negligence;
• Inadequate or negligent security;
• Inadequate lighting; and
• Swimming pool accidents.

When you have suffered any one of the above harms on the premises of an Illinois business due to the business’s breach of the duty owed to you as a customer invitee, you are eligible for compensation for your injuries and other losses.

Receiving Compensation for Property Liability Injuries

If you have suffered a personal injury at an Illinois business on Black Friday or any other day of the year, you may seek compensation for your medical bills, pain and suffering, lost income due to missed work, and other losses. To seek compensation for your injuries, contact an experienced Park Ridge premises liability attorney.

Sources:

http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=2048&ChapterID=57