You might enjoy the great outdoors or taking advantage of the green spaces in your neighborhood. Whether you try out a new park or go to trail you’ve appreciated over the years, you shouldn’t have to worry about hidden dangers on the property. Unfortunately, defects in outdoor environments can cause serious accidents and injuries. If you get hurt in an outdoor environment, and you’re confident you weren’t at fault, talk with a lawyer about who to hold responsible. You might have a case against the property owner or another visitor to the premises.
You can reach Staver Accident Injury Lawyers, P.C. at (312) 236-2900 or use our online form to schedule a free initial consultation.
Common Injuries from Outdoor Environments
Broken Bones
When you’re enjoying yourself outdoors, one small defect can cause you to fall and get hurt. You might break a bone in your arm, hip, or back. The treatment and time you need to heal depend on the severity of the fracture. A clean break might heal in weeks. But a more complex break might need surgery and months of physical rehabilitation.
Sprains and Strains
Soft tissue injuries are very common from outdoor activities gone wrong. You can injure a muscle, ligament, or tendon. A minor injury might heal with rest, time, and some pain management. But if you experience a torn muscle, ligament, or tendon, like your ACL, then you might need surgery to repair it.
Lacerations
There’s a difference between experiencing some cuts and scraps versus a serious laceration. A deep, irregular cut needs to be cared for by a doctor. If the laceration is regularly visible, like on your face or neck, you should have a plastic surgeon attend to it to minimize scarring. With lacerations, you risk scarring, disfigurement, and infections.
Back Injuries
A healthy back is key to living an active lifestyle. But all it takes is one accident for you to suffer a back injury, such as a soft tissue injury, herniated disc, or fractured vertebrae. A back injury can lead to long-term consequences, including physical limitations, discomfort, and pain.
Spinal Cord Injuries
A catastrophic outdoor accident could lead to a partial or full spinal cord injury. You could suffer from paralysis, loss of sensation, incontinence, sexual dysfunction, respiratory issues, blood circulation issues, and more. You might lose the ability to work or participate in your favorite hobbies, or you might have to learn new skills and develop an entirely new career. You also will need lifelong assistance or care.
Traumatic Brain Injuries
If you suffer a blow to the head when you’re outdoors, whether during a fall or from being hit by an object, you could experience a concussion or a moderate-to-severe TBI. Concussions are considered a mild TBI, and many people fully recover, but they can have long-term side effects. This is a particular risk if you’ve suffered head injuries before. Moderate-to-severe TBIs have much more significant physical, emotional, and cognitive consequences. The more severe the TBI, the more likely you are to suffer permanent deficits. It also can lead to a coma, vegetative state, and death.
Where Outdoor Injuries Happen in Chicago
Outdoor accidents and injuries can happen anywhere, including:
- Public parks and playgrounds
- Dog parks
- Backyard swing sets
- Campgrounds
- Hiking trails
- Dirt bike and ATV trails
- Beaches and lakefronts
- Sidewalks
- Parking lots and garages
- Bike paths
Common Types of Outdoor Accidents
We handle all types of accidents that happen when you’re outdoors in Illinois, whether you’re in someone’s backyard, on Lake Michigan, walking across a parking lot, or hiking through a forest preserve. Some of the most common types of outdoor accidents include:
Slip and Falls
Slip or trip and falls happen far too often because an area isn’t well-maintained or marked. If you or a loved one take a serious fall and end up with a broken bone, concussion, or another injury, talk with us right away.
Pedestrian Collisions
Another common issue in outdoor spaces is people in bikes, scooters, rollerblades, and skateboards colliding with pedestrians. These might not be high-speed collisions, but they can cause serious injuries, nonetheless.
Recreational Vehicle Accidents
You and your friends might enjoy all-terrain vehicles, dirt bikes, and other outdoor recreational vehicles. When other riders or the property owners aren’t careful, though, you could be in a serious one-vehicle accident or collision.
Dog Bites
You could be out for a run or taking your pet to the dog park when you’re attacked by another dog. Dog bites can lead to severe lacerations, scarring, and infection.
Why Outdoor Injuries Happen
Outdoor accidents happen for all sorts of reasons. Some causes of minor and serious accidents aren’t anyone else’s fault. No one can control nature, and in many outdoor spaces, you recognize there are risks. When you go hiking, you know the trail won’t be perfectly smooth. You’ll look out for roots and muddy patches. But in many cases, the owner of that property is responsible for making sure it’s safe for visitors.
Outdoor accidents can happen when the owner fails to:
- Inspect structures on the property on a reasonable basis
- Inspect paths for pedestrians, bikers, and vehicles on a reasonable basis
- Repair known defects
- Investigate complaints from visitors about hazards
- Remove accumulation of snow and ice in areas open to visitors
- Prevent the unnatural accumulation of ice in areas accessible to visitors
- Put up appropriate warning signs about hidden defects in the property
Demanding Compensation for an Outdoor Injury
If you were hurt while outdoors, and you believe someone else was at fault, give us a call. Our experienced personal injury attorneys at Staver Accident Injury Lawyers, P.C., are highly experienced in investigating outdoor accidents and injuries. We’ll gather evidence to figure out what caused your accident. From there, we can determine who was at fault.
If we discover that a hazard on the property caused your injuries, we’ll demand compensation from the owner or manager of the premises. The owner could be an individual, a business, or a government agency. If the liable party is a person or business, we’ll demand information about their insurance coverage. An insurance policy can help you win fair compensation for your injuries.
It’s critical you work with a lawyer if you were hurt in dangerous property owned and managed by a municipality or the state of Illinois. There are special laws that govern when and how to file a lawsuit against a government agency. We’ll make sure you approach the claim the right way.
Call Staver Accident Injury Lawyers, P.C. for Help Today
After getting hurt while enjoying an outdoor activity, we recommend you reach out to an experienced attorney for advice. You should get a legal opinion about whether you have a legal claim, and if so, what your case might be worth. You can reach us through our online form or call (312) 236-2900 to schedule a free, no-risk consultation.
