{"id":373169,"date":"2017-05-05T15:48:19","date_gmt":"2017-05-05T20:48:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/state\/illinois-law\/injuries-on-chicago-city-property-the-basics.html"},"modified":"2017-05-05T15:57:01","modified_gmt":"2017-05-05T20:57:01","slug":"injuries-on-chicago-city-property-the-basics","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/state\/illinois-law\/injuries-on-chicago-city-property-the-basics.html","title":{"rendered":"Injuries on Chicago City Property: The Basics"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Injuries on Chicago City Property: The Basics<\/h1>\n
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Created by FindLaw’s team<\/a> of legal writers and editors<\/i><\/p>\n\n | Last updated\n

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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n

If you’ve been injured anywhere on Chicago city property, you may be considering a lawsuit. Suing the government in Illinois isn’t easy and comes with a whole set of complicated rules and time limits — ones that you must follow or you will lose the right to bring a lawsuit.<\/p>\n

A word of caution. Before bringing any lawsuit, you may want to at least consider consulting a Chicago personal injury lawyer<\/a> or a Chicago legal aid provider<\/a>, as the process can be quite complicated.<\/p>\n

What is the law?<\/h2>\n

City governments, as public institutions, enjoy special government immunity<\/a> from certain kinds of liability. The concept of "governmental immunity" has long been recognized in Illinois. The specific law is found in the Local Government and Governmental Employees Tort Immunity Act<\/a> (The Tort Immunity Act, for short).<\/p>\n

The basic premise is that no part of the government and no one working for the government can be sued for anything done within the discretion of their job. Are you out of luck, then? Does that mean the government can run amok and never be held liable? While it may seem like that at times, the truth is you can sue the government, but only in certain circumstances and in certain courts. So, if you’ve been injured on city property, let’s explore your options.<\/p>\n

What is city property? Who should I sue if I’m injured?<\/h2>\n

Determining who is responsible<\/a> for your accident is the first hurdle. The short answer is, anywhere maintained by the city is city property, such as Chicago City Hall<\/a>. Here are examples of a few more places:<\/p>\n