Storefront Crash & Restaurant Injury Lawyer in Chicago

Whether you were hurt inside a restaurant due to a slip-and-fall, became ill from food poisoning, or suffered catastrophic injuries when a vehicle crashed through a storefront, your accident was preventable.

You may be dealing with medical bills, lost time at work, and ongoing pain because of negligence that never should have occurred. In these situations, you may be entitled to significant monetary compensation for the losses you incurred from a premises liability or complex personal injury claim.

The legal team at Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C. has extensive experience with high-stakes personal injury claims and knows how to secure the recovery you need. Our restaurant injury and storefront crash lawyers in Chicago have secured record-setting results in Illinois premises liability cases and are ready to fight for you.

In 2017, Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C. won a record $148 million jury verdict in a Cook County premises liability case. The verdict came after an insufficient $22 million settlement offer. Our personal injury law firm represented a young woman from Lake County whose life was permanently altered by her injuries. The jury award included $56 million for future loss of a normal life, $32 million for future medical expenses, and $30 million for future pain and suffering. This remains the largest personal injury verdict in Cook County and the highest compensatory award to an individual plaintiff in Illinois history. This result demonstrates our commitment and proven ability to handle the most complex and devastating injury cases.

Common Hazards, Storefront Crashes, and Resulting Injuries

Restaurant/bar owners and managers in Illinois carry a legal responsibility to keep their properties safe for diners and other visitors under Illinois’ premises liability laws. If ownership or management neglects safety, hazards can arise that lead to preventable injuries, such as:

Vehicle-Into-Building Crashes: Vehicles losing control and crashing through a storefront or exterior dining area can cause devastating crush injuries, catastrophic trauma, and wrongful death. These cases often involve complex liability, requiring an investigation into both driver negligence and whether the property owner failed to install adequate safety measures, like bollards or barriers.
Slippery floors: Spilled drinks and food, wet floors, or freshly mopped areas can create dangerously slick surfaces. If not addressed promptly, slip and fall incidents can result in broken bones, sprains, or back injuries.
Uneven walking surfaces: Loose tiles, torn carpeting, uneven flooring, or cracked entryways in restaurants create tripping hazards. A stumble on these uneven surfaces can result in ankle fractures, knee damage, or even traumatic brain injuries from sudden impacts.
Poor lighting: It is difficult for visitors to see and avoid obstacles in poorly-lit areas like hallways or parking lots. Inadequate lighting and low visibility increase the chance of falls and can lead to injuries ranging from cuts and bruises to more severe trauma.
Food safety violations: Contaminated ingredients, poor storage, and undercooked meals can expose diners to serious health risks. Foodborne illnesses and food poisoning can lead to severe dehydration, long-term gastrointestinal issues, and possible hospitalization. Our restaurant food poisoning lawyers in Chicago can demand compensation if you became ill due to the restaurant’s negligence.

If you suffered injuries caused by the negligence of a restaurant, property owner, or reckless driver in Illinois, we can investigate your case, discuss your legal rights, and evaluate your legal options.

Proving Premises, Driver, and Third-Party Negligence in Illinois

Illinois law requires property owners, including restaurant owners and managers, to use reasonable care to keep their premises safe for all lawful visitors. However, in cases involving a storefront crash, liability often extends to other negligent parties.

Most personal injury claims are based on the legal concept of negligence, which is a failure to use reasonable care that results in injury. You need to prove four elements to establish negligence, whether against a property owner or a driver:

Duty: The at-fault party had a legal responsibility to act with reasonable care (e.g., a driver’s duty to operate a vehicle safely, or a store owner’s duty to provide a reasonably safe environment).
Breach: The party failed to uphold that responsibility.
Causation: The unsafe condition or action caused your injury.
Damages: You suffered measurable losses as a result of the injury.

In storefront crash cases, our attorneys investigate two critical areas of negligence:

Driver Negligence: We secure police reports, toxicology results, and cell phone records to determine if the driver was distracted, speeding, intoxicated, or medically impaired.
Premises Negligence: We investigate the property owner’s responsibility, determining if the risk of a vehicle crash was foreseeable and whether they failed to install necessary safety barriers or take other preventative actions.

A Chicago injury lawyer can move quickly to secure time-sensitive evidence, including surveillance video, photos, incident reports, and safety inspection logs. Clear, organized evidence allows your Chicago lawyer to show what went wrong, why it happened, and how the negligence of one or more parties affected you.

Who Can Be Held Liable for Injuries?

Liability for an injury depends on who controlled the condition that caused the injury and who failed to act with reasonable care. In a complex storefront crash or a standard premises claim, several different parties could share responsibility:

Restaurant owner: An owner is liable if unsafe conditions in the dining area cause harm.
Property landlords: A landlord could face liability if structural defects or poorly maintained common areas contribute to an accident.
Negligent Drivers: The individual operating the vehicle that crashed into the building or outdoor area can be held liable for their reckless or careless driving.
Staff members: Employees could face liability if they engage in actions that result in harm, like ignoring spills. Employers are generally responsible for the negligence of their employees.
Maintenance contractors: Contractors might be liable if negligent cleaning or repairs create hazards.
Food suppliers: A food supplier could share responsibility for food poisoning incidents if it provides contaminated products.

If you suffered injuries due to the negligence of any of the parties listed above, our legal team can help you seek fair compensation for the harm you’ve suffered.

Types of Recoverable Compensation

If you get hurt or sick because of a restaurant’s or driver’s negligence in Illinois, state law allows you to seek financial compensation for the losses you experience. This compensation helps you recover from both the immediate costs and the long-term impacts of your injury or illness. Depending on the circumstances, you could recover compensation for the following damages:

Medical costs: The costs of emergency medical attention, hospital stays, surgeries, physical therapy, vocational rehabilitation, and ongoing treatment.
Lost wages: Past and future loss of earnings tied to conditions that force you to miss work.
Pain and suffering: The physical and emotional distress that results from your injury or illness.
Lost quality of life: Any loss in your ability to enjoy daily activities, hobbies, or family time.
Out-of-pocket costs: Miscellaneous costs for things like medical equipment or transportation.

Contact a Chicago Storefront Crash & Restaurant Injury Lawyer

If you suffered injuries at a restaurant or in a complex storefront crash in Illinois, contact Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C. today to discuss your claim during a free case review. Our experienced personal injury attorneys can review your case, explain your legal options, and take action to pursue the financial recovery you deserve.