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You expect to be safe from harm when participating in or visiting a festival, conference, concert, sports game, performance, or another commercial event. Unfortunately, that is only sometimes the case. Commercial events can draw big crowds and increase the risk of injury for those in attendance. Suffering an injury at a commercial event can instantly derail your life. One moment you are having fun; the next, you are in pain and unsure of what disastrous impacts your injuries will have on your life.
Premises liability law applies in cases of commercial event accidents. When you suffer an injury due to the actions of others, you may be eligible for compensation for your medical bills and other damages. A commercial events accident lawyer in Chicago can help you determine what legal options might be available based on the facts surrounding the incident leading to your injuries.
Chicago Commercial Events Injury Guide
If You Suffer an Injury at an Event in or Near Chicago, Call Zayed Law Offices
At Zayed Law Offices, we want to help you hold the parties responsible for your unexpected injuries accountable. We understand the law and the rights available to victims in a commercial events injury case. These big corporations and event production companies that put on these events have lawyers to protect their rights and bottom line. It would be best if you had an experienced and professional lawyer to fight for you and protect your interests against them.
A member of our team is available to provide you with a free case evaluation to discuss your case and options. In addition, we have convenient office locations throughout Chicago and Illinois.
The locations of Zayed Law Offices include:
- Chicago
- Wheaton
- Joliet
- Peoria
- Rockford
- Aurora
Commercial Events in and Around Chicago
There is no shortage of public and commercial events in Chicago, such as festivals, business conferences, sporting events, and music performances where an injury could occur.
Chicago is a hub for entertainment, business, and cultural events. Each year over 30 million people visit Chicago for business and leisure. Chicago's scenic skyline, rich history, and diversity attract people from around the country and worldwide to visit the area each year. Whatever the trip's purpose, those visiting and traveling in the area may enjoy one or several expansive event options daily.
Some examples of commercial events and popular venues in Chicago include:
- World Music Festival Chicago
- Taste of Chicago
- Wrigley Field
- Soldier Field
- United Center
- Navy Pier
- McCormick Place
- Chicago Air and Water Show
- Lollapalooza
- Chicago Pride Parade
- The Metro
- Grant Park
How Can Commercial Events Raise Your Risk of Injury?
Most people do not think about the dangers lurking when they attend an event for fun or work. Instead, you assume you will be safe and may not realize the risks you face when attending an event at specific venues and locations. The reality is that many dangers can present themselves while attending an event. Depending on what caused or contributed to your injuries may determine who is at fault and, in turn, liable for the losses you suffer.
Potential risks that may lead to injuries at a commercial event include:
- Crowds: The more extensive the masses, the greater the danger of harm as panic ensues. Fights, panic, and other instigating factors can lead a group to trample others which may cause death or severe injury.
- Pyrotechnics: It is standard for many big sporting events and concerts to include pyrotechnics in their exhibition. However, if something goes wrong and explosive effects and fire reach the audience, individuals can sustain sudden and catastrophic injuries.
- Equipment: It takes a great deal of machinery, equipment, and moving parts to pull off a big event. All equipment on the premises of an event poses a risk to attendees if improperly set up or secured.
- Unsafe flooring or walking paths: Slips, falls, and trips are common at events, notably when food and drinking are involved, which can cause surfaces to become slippery and hazardous.
- Staging and seating areas: Failure of stages or seating areas, such as bleachers and those on raised platforms, can cause life-threatening injuries to many people in high-traffic events.
At What Type of Commercial Events Can Injuries Occur?
Any event can lead to injuries to unsuspecting victims. It only takes the negligent actions or inaction of one party to cause a widespread event leading to potential injuries or death to those in attendance. While highly trafficked events can increase the risk of sustaining injuries because of the number of people present, smaller events can also result in injury.
Examples of commercial events where an injury can happen:
- Fairs
- Festivals
- Concerts
- Parties
- Holiday celebrations
- Sporting events
- Business conferences
- Comic con conventions
- Parades
- Fundraising events
- Galas
What Should You Do if You Suffer an Injury at an Event?
An injury in a commercial event may cause injuries and severe distress for the victim. Suppose you sustain an injury while you are at a commercial event. In that case, you should immediately consider how you will protect your rights, as you will likely need to file an insurance claim or lawsuit to recover your losses. Taking the time and effort to take the following steps can help you as you move forward in your case.
1. Stay on top of your treatment plan.
One of the most important things you can do as a personal injury victim at a commercial event is to go forward with your medical care and treatment. You can expect ups and down depending on the extent of your injuries, and some victims never fully recover.
However, continue the treatment plan your medical team has implemented for you. Missing appointments, refusing treatment, or failing to follow up with your providers can have a negative effect on your case and how much compensation is ultimately available to you in the claim or lawsuit.
Insurance companies and attorneys for at-fault parties will look into your medical recovery and progress. If they see any indication that you are inhibiting your recovery, they can try to reduce their liability to you or the amount of compensatory damages.
2. Take photos and notes as your recovery progresses
Keeping a record of the developments in your recovery and case will become beneficial for proving how long it takes for your injuries to heal and the short- and long-term impacts of those injuries on your life. It will become harder and harder for you to remember all the details surrounding your accident as time passes.
Typically, personal injury cases can take time to resolve. As time goes on, it can be challenging to recall facts and statements that might later become vital to your case. For example, writing down notes and taking photographs or videos from time to time of what you are experiencing in your recovery and the case could help you later.
3. Be careful who you might speak to
Understandably, when you have just experienced a traumatic accident and injury, you will want to talk about it. Just be cautious about who you are speaking to about your injuries and the accident. Speaking to insurance companies or other parties interested in the case's outcome could interfere with your case and claim.
It is best to refrain from speaking to anyone about your case and the events leading up to the commercial events accident. Anything you say to a witness, an insurance company, or the defendants in the case can potentially serve as evidence.
4. Collect evidence and keep it safe
As the days pass following a commercial event accident with injury, you may be collecting a lot of paperwork. Even if you are not sure or do not know whether something may be relevant, it is best to keep safe until you meet with your attorney.
Medical bills, police reports, accident reports, repair estimates, videos, photographs, messages, and communications from other parties may help or benefit your case somehow. You can use a storage bin, drawer, or file to collect the evidence that comes your way and keep it all safely and neatly in one place for ease of access.
5. Call a commercial events lawyer in Chicago
Once you feel you can do so, contact a Chicago commercial events lawyer as soon as possible. Whether it is from your hospital bed, once you get home, or in the days following the event, it is best to call a lawyer to discuss your case before you file a claim and in its earliest stages.
How you approach the beginning phase of your case can affect the outcome and the potential compensation you could receive. Start on the right foot from the outset, and you may be able to avoid delays and complications that are most common when victims attempt to represent themselves in a claim.
Damages Possible for a Victim in a Commercial Event Accident
We may not be able to give you the exact amount of money an insurance company may offer you in the case, but we can help you to understand the extent of compensation and the maximum compensation available for you to fight for.
An injury due to a commercial event mishap or accident comes with many difficulties and challenges. Maybe you cannot work and earn a living. You may need help at home as you recover, and you could face permanent disability, depending on your type of injury. The damages available under a personal injury case allow you to seek compensation for these losses and more.
The types of damages a victim of a commercial event injury can seek to include:
- Medical
- Income
- Future impacts
- Pain and suffering
- Wrongful death
Liability in Commercial Events Injury Cases
Commercial events are complex. Often it is a company, artist, or another party that hosts their event on the property of another by renting out or leasing the premises. This can make figuring out liability for your losses more challenging depending on how your injuries occurred and who may have been negligent.
More than one party may have caused a victim's injuries. Your lawyer will work to determine who is potentially at fault and what insurance coverages are available, and will file your claims and case appropriately to ensure you are seeking compensation from the correct parties.
Liability for a commercial event may include the following parties:
- The venue
- The event production company
- Vendors
- The promoter of the event
- The hosts of the event
- The event set up company
- Equipment operators or contractors
Do You Have a Case If Your Loved One Died at a Commercial Event?
While most cases of commercial event accidents involve injuries, there are times when the injuries sustained are fatal, and a victim may die at the event or after suffering life-threatening injuries. When their deaths result from another's negligence, certain family members may be able to pursue a wrongful death action on the victim's behalf. Talking to a lawyer about your relationship with the victim and the facts surrounding their death can help them better guide you to what options might be available.
How Can Zayed Law Offices Help You if You Sustain a Commercial Events Injury in Chicago?
At Zayed Law Offices, we want to help you get through this most challenging period after a commercial events injury. We are available to discuss your case with a free case evaluation. We can answer your questions and discuss whether we can help you pursue compensation for your losses through a claim or lawsuit. Contact one of our commercial event injury lawyers in Chicago at (312) 726-1616 for your free case review.