Trial Attorneys in Chicago

What you do in the moments immediately after an accident can affect your chances of receiving fair compensation through the injury claim you file later.

Following an injury:

• Call 911. 
  If any injury has you concerned, call 911. They’ll ensure it’s properly recorded. 
• Get the contact information of any witnesses.
  Witnesses can help you later in court. Jot down names and numbers and include them in any police report as well. 
• Take pictures. 
  Broken floor tiles? Take a picture. Car accident? Take a picture. Dog bite? Take a picture. Pictures directly after an accident are pivotal. Don’t let them clean up or calm down. 
• Exchange information.
  Exchange information civilly. Insurance, numbers, names, etc. Information gather as best as you can. 
• Never admit blame or say sorry.
  It’s almost natural to say sorry even when we aren’t at fault. Insurance companies will take advantage of that and infer you were somehow responsible. 
• Seek medical attention. 
  Whether it was a slip and fall at a grocery store or a t-bone at a stoplight, seek medical attention. Soft tissue damage is hard to notice at first. The sooner a doctor sees you and records your injuries, the better. 

Speak with a Chicago personal injury lawyer as soon as you can. We are well-versed with Illinois’s liability laws, as well as how courts, juries, insurance companies, and other parties all tend to operate within the city and Cook County.

An injury suffered because of another person’s (or company’s) carelessness is the basis of a personal injury claim. In legal terms, their negligence caused your injury. Some acts of negligence can seem relatively harmless while others can cause permanent changes to the quality of life of you and your loved ones. 

The elements that must be present in a personal injury claim include:

• You suffered an injury.
• Someone else’s negligence resulted in your injury.
• Your injury has caused you damages.

An injury alone is not enough to qualify for a personal injury lawsuit. You must have suffered some sort of loss or harm from your injuries. This extra caveat is meant to keep “frivolous” lawsuits out of the court system. The compensation awarded for these losses is called “damages.”

Typical damages in a personal injury lawsuit can include:

• Lost income
• Medical expenses
• Property damage
• Pain and suffering
• Mental anguish or distress
• Loss of quality of life

If you have been injured by the negligence of someone else, then your next step should be to contact our Chicago personal injury lawyers to schedule a consultation.

During your consultation, we will listen to the details of your case and determine whether you should move forward with a personal injury claim. You don’t pay unless we win. 

Don’t wait. Call today. We can help. 

Illinois uses a comparative fault system for personal injury claims, which basically means each person in an accident will be assigned a percentage of liability. Based on what happened, your liability can be anywhere between 0% and 100%. Any compensation you recover from the other parties will be reduced by your own liability percentage. For example, if you were 25% liable for your injuries, then you can receive 75% of the damages demanded in your claim.

No, personal injuries can be psychological and even emotional. For example, if you are paralyzed in a car accident, then you will undoubtedly experience extreme psychological duress due to your new limitations. In your claim, you can cite your psychological harm as damage.

You can typically demand damages in your personal injury claim that include lost wages, diminished earning capacity, medical bills, disability accommodations, lowered quality of life, pain & suffering, and loss of companionship if you are filing a wrongful death claim.

Anxiety, depression, fear or paranoia, insecurity, and embarrassment are all examples of emotional pains that can be triggered after a violent accident. Suffering can be defined as any sort of pain you feel due to your physical injuries, including pain in the moment of the accident and pain that lingers for days, weeks, months, or years after. Essentially, if you are feeling hurt or frustrated because of the consequences of an accident you did not cause, then you are experiencing emotional pain and suffering that can be included in your damages.

After an accident that causes you or a loved one to suffer a serious injury, you should call a Chicago personal injury lawyer. The same is true for any accident that causes significant property loss. Please keep in mind that our initial consultations are free, so you can request one without paying anything out of your pocket.

Insurance companies like to throw lowball settlement offers at claimants to try to quickly close cases and protect their finances. With this in mind, you should never accept a settlement offer without first allowing your lawyer to review it.

Insurance policies are written to be difficult to understand, so you might not know if your injuries are covered by anyone’s insurance after your accident. Allowing an attorney to review your policy can help sort through the fine details.

In order for your Chicago personal injury lawyer to be proactive in your case, you may need to provide supplementary reports from varying physicians, consult with investigators, and generally remain involved in your case until it’s closed.