If you were badly cut when a glass door, window, or shower enclosure shattered, the injury may trace back to a property owner using old, non-safety glass. Plate glass, also called annealed or non-tempered glass, breaks into large, jagged shards that can cause deep lacerations, nerve damage, and life-threatening blood loss. Here is how these injuries happen, who can be held responsible in Illinois, and what your options are for recovering compensation.
What Is a Plate Glass Injury?
A plate glass injury is a wound caused by non-tempered glass breaking. Plate glass has not been treated to make it stronger, so when it fails it breaks into a few large, sharp, heavy pieces with jagged edges. Safety glass, by contrast, is tempered through heat or chemical treatment during manufacturing. Tempered glass is far less likely to break in the first place, and when it does, it crumbles into many small, relatively dull pieces that are much less likely to cause a serious cut. That difference in how the two types break is why one shattered pane leaves someone with a bruise and another sends them to the emergency room.
Injuries Plate Glass Can Cause
Because of the weight, size, and sharpness of the shards, plate glass can inflict severe harm. Common injuries include:
- Deep lacerations anywhere on the body
- Severed or damaged nerves, tendons, and blood vessels
- Rapid, dangerous blood loss
- Fractured bones and concussions
- Permanent scarring and disfigurement
- Infections from glass fragments left in a wound
Some cuts sever an artery or a major nerve, which can mean emergency surgery, long-term loss of function, or worse. The medical bills, lost income, and lasting effects of a wound like this are real losses, and you should not have to carry them alone when someone else’s carelessness caused them. Cases involving catastrophic injuries often need extensive treatment, which is a major factor in what a claim is worth.
Safety Glass Standards and Who Is Liable
For decades, the danger of non-safety glass in doors and shower enclosures has been well known. Since 1977, a federal product standard has required safety glazing in the architectural products where breakage hurts people most: doors, storm and combination doors, sliding patio doors, and bathtub and shower doors and enclosures (16 CFR Part 1201). That standard controls what manufacturers may make and sell. It does not order an owner to pull out glass already sitting in a building, and safety glazing in other risky spots, such as a window close to a floor or a doorway, is handled by state and local building codes instead. Buildings that still use plate glass in those locations put people at needless risk.
When you are hurt by non-tempered glass on someone else’s property, a premises liability claim against the owner or occupier is often the path to compensation. Property owners in Illinois owe entrants a duty of reasonable care regarding the condition of the premises (740 ILCS 130/2), and using dangerous glass where safety glass belongs can be a breach of that duty. That duty has limits. Illinois courts generally do not make an owner protect people from a danger that is open and obvious to a reasonable person, though the rule bends where the owner should expect someone to be distracted or to encounter the hazard anyway, and clear glass is hard to see by design. If a defective or improperly labeled glass product failed, you may also have a claim against the manufacturer. And if you were injured on the job, a workers’ compensation claim may cover your medical care and lost wages regardless of fault, though it runs on its own clock: notice to your employer as soon as practicable and no later than 45 days after the accident (820 ILCS 305/6(c)), then an Application for Adjustment of Claim with the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission within three years of the accident or two years after the last compensation payment, whichever is later (820 ILCS 305/6(d)). A slip-and-fall and premises liability attorney can sort out which parties are responsible.
Illinois Law After a Plate Glass Injury
Time limits are strict. In Illinois you generally have two years from the date of the injury to file a personal injury lawsuit (735 ILCS 5/13-202), and letting that window close usually ends a claim before it starts. Some situations move that date. A child’s two years generally do not begin until their 18th birthday (735 ILCS 5/13-211). A claim against a city, park district, school district, or other local public body has to be filed within one year rather than two (745 ILCS 10/8-101), which is the deadline people most often lose without ever knowing it applied to them.
Illinois also follows a modified comparative negligence rule. If you are found partly at fault, your compensation is reduced by your share, and you are barred from recovering anything if you are found more than 50% at fault (735 ILCS 5/2-1116). Insurers know this and often argue that an injured person “should have seen” the glass in order to shrink or deny a claim, which is why documenting the scene and your injuries matters. If you want a rough sense of your losses, our injury settlement calculator is a starting point, though only a lawyer can properly value your case.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between plate glass and safety glass?
Plate glass, also called annealed or non-tempered glass, is not treated for strength and breaks into large, sharp, jagged shards. Safety glass is tempered so it resists breaking and, when it does break, crumbles into small, relatively dull pieces that are far less likely to cause serious injury.
Who is liable if I am cut by plate glass on someone’s property?
Often the property owner or occupier, who owes entrants a duty of reasonable care over the condition of the premises (740 ILCS 130/2). That duty does not extend to dangers a reasonable person would find open and obvious, though exceptions apply. Depending on the facts, a glass manufacturer or a workers’ compensation claim may also be involved. An attorney can identify every responsible party.
Is plate glass illegal in doors and windows?
Not exactly. Since 1977 a federal product standard has required safety glazing in doors, storm doors, sliding patio doors, and bathtub and shower enclosures (16 CFR Part 1201), and it governs what is manufactured and sold rather than glass already installed. Ordinary windows fall under state and local building codes instead. Many older buildings still contain plate glass, and using it where safety glass belongs can support a premises liability claim if someone is hurt.
How long do I have to file a plate glass injury claim in Illinois?
Illinois generally gives you two years from the date of the injury to file a personal injury lawsuit (735 ILCS 5/13-202). A claim against a city, school district, or other local public entity is cut to one year (745 ILCS 10/8-101), and if the injury happened at work, notice to your employer is due within 45 days (820 ILCS 305/6(c)). Confirm your specific deadline with an attorney as soon as possible.
Do I have to pay anything upfront to hire a lawyer?
No. 844-SEE-MIKE handles injury cases on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay nothing unless we recover money for you, and the initial consultation is free.
Contact 844-SEE-MIKE About Your Plate Glass Injury
If you or a loved one was seriously cut by broken glass on someone else’s property, you may be entitled to compensation for your medical bills, lost income, scarring, and pain. Property owners are responsible for keeping their premises reasonably safe, and that includes using proper safety glass where the law requires it. The attorneys at 844-SEE-MIKE handle premises liability and glass injury claims across Illinois, and a free consultation comes with no obligation and no fee unless we recover for you. Contact 844-SEE-MIKE anytime to talk through what happened and learn where you stand.
This article is general information about Illinois law and is not legal advice for your specific situation.
