Was your child injured on someone else’s property in Chicago, Illinois? Under a legal principle known as the attractive nuisance doctrine, property owners can be held liable for injuries to children caused by dangerous conditions on their land, even if the child was technically trespassing at the time.
Mark L. Karno & Associates, LLC can help you take legal action. Our Chicago premises liability lawyers are some of the most successful in the city, with over 100 years of combined experience and tens of millions of dollars recovered for our clients. We won’t hesitate to take your case to court if that’s what it takes to ensure you are fully compensated.
Contact us today at (224) 481-1926 to get started with your case. We offer a completely free initial consultation.
How Mark L. Karno & Associates Can Help With Your Family’s Premises Liability Case in Chicago, Illinois
Attractive nuisance cases require proving that the property owner should have anticipated the risks their premises posed to children and that they failed to take reasonable precautions in response. Mark L. Karno & Associates can help you build your case from the ground up and demand the maximum possible compensation for all of your child’s injuries and related damages.
When you hire our top-rated personal injury law firm, we can:
- Investigate the property and the condition that caused your child’s injury
- Determine whether the property owner had prior knowledge of the hazard
- Gather evidence showing the owner failed to take reasonable steps to secure it
- Document your child’s injuries and calculate the full cost of their medical care
- File a lawsuit and bring your claim to trial if the property owner won’t take responsibility
Reach out to our personal injury lawyers in Chicago, IL, today for more information. We can fill you in on your legal rights and options during your free case review.
What Is the Attractive Nuisance Doctrine?
In most premises liability cases, property owners owe very little duty of care to trespassers. However, when the trespasser is a child, the rules change. The attractive nuisance doctrine recognizes that young children don’t understand danger the way adults do. A feature on someone’s property that looks fun or interesting to a child can draw them in without any awareness of the risk involved.
Under this doctrine, a property owner may be liable for a child’s injuries if:
- The property contained a condition that was likely to attract children
- The owner knew or should have known that children were likely to trespass
- The condition posed an unreasonable risk to children
- The child was too young to appreciate the danger
- The cost of securing the hazard was reasonable compared to the risk it created
Some of the most common attractive nuisances that lead to child injuries in Chicago include:
- Unfenced swimming pools
- Construction sites with open access
- Abandoned vehicles and machinery
- Trampolines without safety enclosures
- Wells or other open water features
- Piles of lumber and building materials
The property owner doesn’t have to invite the child onto the property for this doctrine to apply. The entire point is that certain conditions are so appealing to children that their presence on the property is foreseeable, and so the owner should take steps to prevent access.
Set Up a Free Consultation With a Chicago Attractive Nuisance Doctrine Attorney
No child should be seriously injured because a property owner refused to take basic safety precautions. If your family is dealing with this situation in Chicago, IL, Mark L. Karno & Associates has the resources and experience to fight for you and your loved ones every step of the way.
Call us at (224) 481-1926 or reach out online to schedule a free consultation today. At that time, we can answer any questions you might have about your next steps.