At Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, our Chicago accident lawyer team has worked with many construction employees and other victims who have been hurt in ladder falls. Whether the injuries sustained were caused by a coworker, a bystander, a project manager, or a property owner, you can hold the at-fault party accountable with a personal injury claim.
Construction workers face dangerous situations every day on project sites. It is one of the most injury-prone occupations for a reason. In Chicago and throughout Illinois, many workers get injured while using equipment on project sites, including ladders.
If you get hurt because of a ladder incident while at a construction site or even at home, you can work with a ladder accident attorney to pursue compensation for legal damages.
An experienced personal injury law firm can make all the difference in your pursuit of fair compensation. Our Chicago construction accident lawyers have secured numerous settlements for victims of ladder accidents in the past:
$7.3 million – Michael, a contractor repairing a soffit on a North Side home, was using an extension ladder when it suddenly collapsed from a height of 30 feet. He suffered a collapsed lung, liver damage, and internal bleeding, along with orthopedic injuries that required emergency surgeries. His long hospitalization and permanent restrictions made it impossible to continue in construction. The defective design of the ladder and the severity of his medical complications were central to the case outcome.
$7.2 million – Anthony, a union electrician, fell from a ladder while installing cable at a warehouse project site in Elk Grove Village. He sustained severe fractures in both legs and his lower back, requiring multiple surgeries and long-term rehabilitation. The injuries forced him out of the trade and left him struggling with chronic pain. The settlement reflected the unsafe worksite conditions as well as the devastating impact on his career and quality of life.
$4.9 million – Carlos, an electrician working in a Loop office building, was installing ceiling lights when a defective ladder provided by the building owner suddenly collapsed beneath him. He suffered multiple fractures, including a traumatic head injury, and endured months of rehabilitation. The injuries forced him to abandon electrical work and retrain for a less physically demanding job. Liability against the property owner and the permanent nature of his injuries contributed heavily to the resolution.
$4.4 million – David, a journeyman carpenter from Oak Lawn, was badly injured in a fall from a ladder while performing renovation work inside a commercial property downtown. The fall caused a spinal injury that required fusion surgery, along with lasting mobility limitations. His inability to return to carpentry work meant a lifetime of lost wages and benefits. These long-term financial and medical consequences were key drivers in the settlement.
Our firm has a strong track record of winning settlements for our clients, maintaining a 98% success rate with personal injury claims. Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers has a five-star rating from AVVO, and our head attorney is a contributing author for the National Law Review.
A ladder accident can happen anywhere, from a busy project site in the Loop to a residential property in Wicker Park. Here are some common causes of injuries sustained in ladder falls:
Ladder-related injuries can cause significant upheaval in the victim’s life, forcing them to miss work, pay high medical bills, or change their lifestyle. Here are some common injuries caused by ladder accidents:
The damages you can receive from a claim depend on the type of legal action you pursue. Let’s look at some of your legal options that depend on the circumstances of the ladder accident.
Personal Injury Claim
A personal injury lawyer can help victims recover:
Workers’ Compensation Claim
An experienced attorney can help injured employees recover:
Wrongful Death Claim
Surviving family members can recover:
The average settlement for a ladder fall in Illinois is $2.83 million, with a range between $156,00 and $11.2 million.
Multiple factors will determine your maximum compensation if your claim is successful, including injury severity, liability, insurance policy limits, and available evidence.
In 2010, Mitchell was working at a home construction site in Chicago as a sheet metal worker. He was using a free-standing ladder when a stack of large plastic panels fell and knocked into the ladder. Mitchell fell and sustained injuries to his right shoulder and spine. He sued the contractor who had delivered the panels for failing to secure them when they were unloaded at the project site. The parties settled for $2.75 million in favor of Mitchell.
In 2007, Gregory was attempting to install steel beams at a construction site in Chicago. While trying to wrestle a beam into place and standing on a ladder, he leaned against a piece of wood shoring for leverage. The piece gave out, and he fell off the ladder, injuring his wrist and knee. Gregory sued multiple parties for construction negligence, claiming the piece of shoring was installed poorly. A settlement of $2.11 million was reached with numerous defendants.
If you suffered injuries in a ladder accident, pursuing compensation may be complicated. Multiple parties may share fault, such as the employer, owner, and ladder manufacturer. Workers’ compensation benefits may limit your payout if a third party was not involved. OSHA violations will require documentation. If a wrongful death occurred, you will need to connect the victim’s passing to someone else’s negligence.
At Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, we know how to navigate workplace injury claims, product liability actions, wrongful death suits, and civil court litigations in Cook County.
Since 2020, there have been 162 ladder-related incident reports in the OSHA Chicago region office. 74 of these ladder accidents resulted in fatalities. Many of these serious injuries and deaths were caused by improper safety standards, product misuse, and defective ladders.
Although ladder accidents can occur in almost any setting, the following locations in Chicago are more likely to be involved in causing serious injuries from falls:
Workers’ Compensation Act (820 ILCS 305) – If you are injured at work, your employer is required to carry workers’ compensation insurance so you can apply for benefits based on your average weekly wage (AWW).
Illinois Premises Liability Act (740 ILCS 130/) – If you suffered injuries from a ladder fall due to someone else’s negligence on their property, the owner could be held liable for your damages.
OSHA Standard 1926.1053 – This standard requires all ladders in use to be capable of handling the required load safely. If the regulation is violated, it could mean the project manager or general contractor is liable for any injuries to construction workers.
Under the Workers’ Compensation Act (820 ILCS 305/6(d), employees will have three years from the date of their injury or two years from the last benefit payment, whichever is later, to pursue a workers’ compensation claim.
For third-party liability or a non-workplace accident, 735 ILCS 5/13-202 gives the victim two years from the date of the accident or the date of discovery of their injuries to seek compensation.
Multiple parties can be held liable for ladder accidents in Chicago. Our personal injury law firm will help you establish liability and secure evidence to prove negligence.
Potentially liable parties may include:
The defendant, their insurance company, and their lawyer may use certain arguments to undermine your claim. Here are some of the most common defenses that could be used in a personal injury case involving a ladder fall:
Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers can counter these defenses with expert ladder safety evaluations, OSHA compliance documentation, and equipment inspection records.
Building a strong case requires immediate action. You must take the following steps after your injury to have the best chance of earning maximum compensation:
A ladder accident lawyer from our law firm will know exactly how to support you through the claims process. Whether you are pursuing a personal injury or a workers’ compensation case, our team can provide the following legal services:
Workers’ comp is a no-fault system, so you can apply for benefits regardless of fault if the injury occurred in the scope of your employment.
Suppose you are partially at fault in a third-party claim. In that case, you can still seek both economic and non-economic damages under the Illinois modified comparative negligence rule (735 ILCS 5/2-1116), which allows legal action from victims who are no more than 50% at fault.
Liability includes four elements under personal injury law:
You will need evidence of these four elements to establish liability for personal injury. A ladder accident lawyer will help you gather enough evidence to prove negligence.
In most cases, employers are protected from personal injury lawsuits by workers’ compensation insurance. However, if the incident was caused by gross negligence or a third party (contractors, construction companies, or manufacturers), you could secure more compensation with a personal injury lawsuit.
At Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, we work on a contingency fee basis. This means you owe nothing unless we win, and our payment is deducted from the final settlement.
An expert ladder accident lawyer from Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers can play a crucial role in helping you secure compensation for lost wages, medical expenses, and other losses after a ladder fall. Whether your accident occurred during a construction project or at a friend’s house, your personal injury attorney will fight for fair compensation on your behalf.
Since we work on a contingency fee basis and offer a free consultation, there are no upfront fees associated with our legal services. Contact us today at 888-424-5757 to schedule your no-obligation case evaluation with an experienced personal injury attorney in Chicago.
Specific Cases We Handle
All content undergoes thorough legal review by experienced attorneys, including Jonathan Rosenfeld. With 25 years of experience in personal injury law and over 100 years of combined legal expertise within our team, we ensure that every article is legally accurate, compliant, and reflects current legal standards.