What are Premises Accident Statistics?

Here are some important points and numbers regarding premises accidents and litigation.

• Some of the most common premises accidents are slip and fall accidents, snow and ice accidents, fire accidents, pool accidents, construction accidents, maintenance accidents, and toxic substance accidents.
• Approximately one in ten of all lawsuits relate to a premises accident.
• Almost all premises accident lawsuits are decided by a jury.
• Compared to other kinds of cases, premises accident litigation has seen a decline in the frequency of cases.
• Illinois is one of the leading forums for premises accident litigation.
• Courts award victims of premises accidents billions of dollars in damages every year.
• Less than one in ten premises accident victims obtains punitive damages.
• Some of the most frequent settings for premises accidents are construction worksites and industrial worksites.
• Slip and fall incidents are one of the leading causes of premises accidents.
• A typical premises accident lawsuit lasts about two years.
• The average award for premises liability cases is about $100,000.
• In premises accident cases that went to trial, the success rate of plaintiffs was a little under 50%.

The statistics above are very informative but they don’t provide a general answer to whether or not you will have a case in the first place. To answer that, you need to examine a few factors. First, did you actually suffer some form of monetary or intangible damage? You cannot bring a suit merely for the hassle of an accident. In order to sue another person or entity, you need to establish damages so think about any bills, pain, or other expenses that resulted from the premises incident. Second, were you acting irresponsibly in any way when the event occurred? If so, the defendant could try and paint the affair as your fault so it’s important to ready a defense for that possibility. Third, when the did the premises accident occur? Illinois has statutes of limitations for premises cases and if you try to bring suit after them they have expired you will be unable to recover. Therefore, it is important to figure out if you still have time left to file. These three core questions will help you better identify if you have a case in Illinois after a premises accident.