Were you injured in an accident that wasn’t your fault in Illinois? Are you confused about your legal rights and options? If so, Attorneys of Chicago Personal Injury Lawyers can help.
Our Chicago personal injury attorneys have over 30 years of legal experience. We are recognized as Super Lawyers, National Trial Lawyers Top 100, and National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40. Our Illinois personal injury attorneys have recovered tens of millions of dollars on behalf of our clients, so you can trust that we can capably handle your case.
When you call for a free case review, we can explain your rights and legal options in Illinois. If you decide to move forward with your case, we can fight hard for you and protect you from aggressive insurance companies that may try to prevent you from recovering fair compensation. Contact our Illinois personal injury lawyers today at (312) 929-2884 to get started.
How Attorneys of Chicago Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help After an Accident in Illinois
At Attorneys of Chicago Personal Injury Lawyers, we can take steps to improve the odds of a successful outcome in your Illinois personal injury case, including:
- Ensuring you understand your legal rights at each phase of your case so you can make informed decisions
- Identifying, securing, and preserving critical evidence in your case
- Providing high-quality legal representation at each phase of your case, including handling communications with the insurance company so it does not try to take advantage of you
- Monitoring case deadlines and ensuring you file your legal claim within the applicable time limit
- Negotiating aggressively for maximum compensation
If you were seriously injured due to the actions of a negligent party, turn to an Illinois personal injury attorney located in Chicago. Attorneys of Chicago Personal Injury Lawyers takes cases on a contingency fee basis, so you can retain our services now and only pay for them after we have recovered compensation for your claim. Call our Illinois personal injury lawyers today for a free, no-obligation consultation.
Basis of Personal Injury Claims
Personal injury cases are established under tort law. Personal injury law allows those who are harmed by the actions of others to pursue civil claims against them for compensation for their medical bills, lost wages, and other harm they suffer because of someone else’s misconduct.
For most personal injury cases, the legal doctrine that applies is that of negligence. Negligence occurs when someone acts in a careless way that causes injury to another when they have a legal duty to prevent harm to them. However, some cases are based on other legal theories, such as products liability and dog bite cases, which may be governed under strict liability, which provides financial compensation to the victim if the situation fits under the narrow definition of the applicable statute and does not require the victim to prove negligence.
Types of Personal Injury Cases Our Law Firm Handles
Attorneys of Chicago Personal Injury Lawyers focuses exclusively on personal injury cases, including the following:
Car Accidents
Most car accidents occur because of negligent drivers, including:
- Speeders
- Distracted drivers
- Impaired drivers
- Tired drivers
- Reckless or aggressive drivers
- Careless drivers
When a negligent driver injures you or kills a loved one, an experienced attorney from our firm can fight to hold them accountable.
Motorcycle Accidents
Motorcycle accidents tend to result in catastrophic injuries because motorcyclists do not have a steel frame or safety equipment to protect them.
Accident victims may suffer serious injuries, such as:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Facial injuries
- Dental trauma
- Neck and back injuries
- Road rash
- Burns
- Amputations
- Broken bones
Our Illinois personal injury lawyers can fight for meaningful recovery to help treat your injuries and compensate you for other losses.
Truck Accidents
Truck accidents can result in serious injuries because the truck is so much larger and heavier than the passenger vehicle. An experienced Chicago personal injury lawyer from our firm can investigate your case and identify all parties who may be responsible for your injuries.
Bicycle Accidents
If you have suffered a catastrophic injury in a bicycle accident, contact our law firm today. We can investigate your case to determine if a cyclist, product manufacturer, government entity, or other party may be responsible for your injuries.
Slip and Fall Cases
If you were injured in a slip and fall, you may have a legal claim against the property owner or other party responsible for your injuries if your accident was due to dangerous conditions such as:
- Wet or slippery floors
- Broken flooring or steps
- Missing or loose guardrails
- Poor lighting
- Uneven flooring
- Cluttered aisles
- Unexpected step-downs
An Illinois personal injury attorney from our firm can pursue compensation from the party legally responsible for your accident.
Dog Bites
Dog bite victims may suffer serious and disfiguring facial injuries, broken bones, and lasting psychological trauma after a dog owner negligently allows their dog to bite them. Let us pursue the justice and financial compensation you deserve.
Medical Malpractice Cases
Medical malpractice occurs when a healthcare provider’s negligence falls below the applicable standard of care.
Some examples of mistakes that may lead to valid grounds for a personal injury lawsuit include:
- Surgical errors
- Misdiagnoses
- Delayed diagnoses
- Failure to monitor
- Medication errors
- Emergency room errors
- Birth injuries
Let us fight to protect your rights.
Wrongful Death Cases
If you have tragically lost a loved one, your family might be able to file a wrongful death claim against the responsible party.
What Is My Case Worth?
The value of your personal injury case will likely depend on the following:
- The severity of your injuries
- The medical treatment you require
- Time missed from work
- Whether you can return to work
- Property repair estimates
- Limits on insurance policies
- How the injury impacts your overall quality of life
A dedicated personal injury attorney can help you evaluate what your case is worth and pursue all available compensation.
Compensation You Can Recover In a Personal Injury Case
Illinois law allows accident victims to recover economic and non-economic damages.
Economic damages are defined as tangible, measurable losses, which may include:
- Past and future medical expenses
- Loss of income
- Loss of earning capacity
- Property damage or loss
- Household services
Non-economic damages are defined as damages that are intangible, including:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Disability
- Disfigurement
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of consortium
- Loss of society
- Humiliation
- Damage to reputation
These damages do not have a specific dollar amount assigned to them like economic damages do.
Combined, economic damages and non-economic damages are called compensatory damages.
Can I Recover Compensation if I’m Being Blamed for My Accident?
Illinois is a modified comparative negligence state. This allows you to still recover compensation if you’re less than 51% responsible for your injuries. However, the amount you recover is deduced in proportion to your share of the fault.
How Can I Prove Fault In a Personal Injury Case?
Since most personal injury cases require you to show negligence in order to recover compensation, you will likely need objective evidence to show the party you are suing or making a personal injury claim against is at fault. This evidence will depend on your type of case, the circumstances surrounding the accident, and factors specific to your case.
Evidence to prove fault might include:
- Accident or police reports
- Witness statements
- Personnel records
- Maintenance records
- Bills of lading, receipts, and time logs
- Electronic data recorder information
- Medical records
- Toxicology reports
- Photos of the accident scene
- Video footage from surveillance cameras, traffic cameras, or dashcams
- Reports from accident reconstruction experts
In addition to proving fault, you will also need to establish the damages you have suffered to recover compensation in your personal injury claim.
You may be able to use evidence such as:
- Property damage repair estimates
- Medical bills
- Employment statements
- Check stubs
- Tax returns
- Reports from an economist about your anticipated loss of future earnings
- Receipts
- Invoices
- Estimates
- Pain journal entries
- Testimony from medical experts or economists
An experienced personal injury attorney can work closely with you to determine how the accident has affected your life and work tirelessly to obtain evidence to prove all elements of your claim.
How Much Time Do I Have To File a Personal Injury Lawsuit
In Illinois, the general statute of limitations for personal injury cases is two years. This gives you two years from the accident date to file a lawsuit against the party responsible for your harm. If you did not discover your injury until after the accident, the deadline may begin when you discovered it or reasonably should have discovered it.
There are times when you may have less time to file a personal injury claim, such as if the defendant is the government. There are also times when you may have more time to file a case, such as if the victim is incapacitated or a minor.
To determine the statute of limitations that applies to your case, reach out to a Chicago personal injury lawyer.
Contact an Experienced Personal Injury Attorney for a Free Consultation
If you or a loved one has been injured in an Illinois accident caused by someone else’s negligence, contact an experienced Illinois personal injury lawyer for immediate assistance and legal representation. Attorneys of Chicago Personal Injury Lawyers can review the facts of your case, explain your legal options, and represent you in your quest for fair compensation. Call us or contact us online to schedule a free consultation.