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Office Building Slip and Fall Lawyer in Chicago
An office building slip and fall lawyer in Chicago helps you find out who was responsible when you fell in a tower, a lobby or a leased suite. In the Loop and West Loop, several companies share one building, so the answer is rarely a single name.
Fell in a Chicago office building? The building owner, the property manager and the cleaning contractor may each bear responsibility.Free case review: 312-800-1534.
Common Areas Versus the Leased Floor
Liability usually follows whoever controls the area where you fell. That control question drives every office building injury claim.
- Common areas: lobbies, elevators, stairwells, corridors and washrooms are typically the owner’s or building management company’s job under the lease. This is common area maintenance.
- The leased floor: inside a tenant’s suite, the tenant is usually responsible. That split is tenant versus landlord responsibility.
Illinois owners must use reasonable care under the Premises Liability Act (740 ILCS 130). Together, commercial building premises liability and leased premises liability decide who pays.
Where exactly you fell often decides who is liable. Call 312-800-1534 and we will work out which party that is.
Lobbies, Revolving Doors and Tracked-In Water
A wet lobby floor is the classic lobby slip and fall. Revolving doors in Loop towers push snow and slush onto marble and tile all winter, and the water spreads fast. Polished stone in newer West Loop lobbies can stay slick even when only damp.
We ask whether the building used entryway matting, mopped often, or posted signs. See our guide to wet floor slip and fall claims.
After-hours cleaning crews create hazards too, such as polish residue left on a tiled corridor overnight.
Elevator Misalignment and Escalator Falls
When a car stops slightly above or below the floor, that is elevator misleveling. The gap can catch a foot and cause a trip.
The owner or the elevator maintenance contractor may be responsible. Read more on elevator accidents and escalator accidents.
Who Is Liable: Owner, Property Manager, Tenant or Contractor?
More than one party can share the blame:
- Owner: the structure and shared spaces.
- Property manager: daily upkeep and repairs.
- Tenant: its own suite and anything it spills in shared halls.
- Cleaning company: janitorial contractor liability applies when its crew creates the hazard.
For more, see business premises falls.
An injured person can still recover damages as long as they are not more than 50% at fault, but the compensation is reduced by their share of fault (735 ILCS 5/2-1116). Cases are usually filed in the Circuit Court of Cook County.
If You Fell at Your Own Workplace
A workplace fall at the office usually falls under workers’ compensation (820 ILCS 305). You generally cannot sue your employer. Report the fall to your employer right away and see a doctor.
You may still bring a third-party claim against the owner, property manager or cleaning contractor. See our page on work-related falls.
Visiting a Client’s Office: Your Status as a Lawful Entrant
A business visitor is a lawful entrant. The owner and tenant who control the space must use reasonable care toward you. Being there for work does not weaken your claim, whether the fall happened in the lobby, a corridor or the client’s suite.
Building Service Records and Inspection Logs
Records show what the building knew. We look for:
- Cleaning logs and incident reports
- Lobby camera footage
- Elevator maintenance and inspection records
- The lease and service agreements
Video is often overwritten within weeks, so we send a preservation letter early. Most personal injury claims in Illinois must be filed within two years of the accident (735 ILCS 5/13-202).
Speak With a Chicago Premises Injury Lawyer
We will establish who controlled the area where you fell, what the lease and service agreements say, and whether a claim is worth bringing. Free consultation, no fee unless we win. Call 312-800-1534.
Talk to an office building slip and fall lawyer Chicago and request a free case review.
FAQs
I fell at my own office. Can I make a claim?
Usually yes. Workers’ compensation generally covers a workplace fall at the office, though you generally cannot sue your employer. You may also have a third-party claim against the building owner, property manager or cleaning contractor if one of them caused the hazard.
Who is responsible for a fall in a building lobby?
Usually the owner or building management company, because lobbies are common areas they control. A cleaning contractor or tenant may share responsibility if their work caused the hazard. Liability follows whoever controlled the area and knew, or should have known, about the danger.
The cleaning company left the floor wet. Who do I claim against?
You may have a claim against the janitorial contractor, and against the owner or property manager who hired it. Responsibility depends on the service agreement and who failed to mop, dry or warn. Photograph the floor and request the incident report.
What if the elevator stopped slightly above floor level and I tripped?
Elevator misleveling can support a claim if the owner or maintenance contractor failed to inspect or repair the car. Report the fall, photograph the gap, and ask for maintenance records. A recurring or known problem makes the claim stronger because the building had notice.
I was visiting a client’s office. Does that affect my claim?
It should not weaken it. A business visitor is a lawful entrant, owed reasonable care by whoever controls the space. An injured person can still recover damages as long as they are not more than 50% at fault, but the compensation is reduced by their share of fault (735 ILCS 5/2-1116).
Legally Reviewed By
Attorney Jonathan Rosenfeld
The information on this page has been legally reviewed by Attorney Jonathan Rosenfeld, founder and managing partner of Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC, a Chicago-based personal injury law firm. With decades of experience representing individuals injured in slip and fall accidents and other premises liability cases throughout Chicago, Mr. Rosenfeld is dedicated to protecting the rights of injury victims and helping them pursue the maximum compensation available under the law. His extensive legal knowledge and commitment to client advocacy ensure that the information provided is accurate, reliable, and aligned with current legal standards.