If you’ve been injured in an accident, a personal injury attorney can be a huge asset in getting compensated for your injuries. When you interview potential attorneys, make sure to ask certain questions upfront and understand how the state’s statute of limitations and fault laws can affect your case. A personal injury attorney will be able to answer any questions you have so you fully understand your case.
NOTE: The content of this website is intended solely for informational purposes. It is not a source of legal advice and should not be used as such.

A car accident is traumatic, especially when you’ve been injured. With medical bills, doctor’s appointments, and insurance negotiations, you can get overwhelmed and confused.

A personal injury lawyer can take the reigns of your case so you can focus on healing. A car accident is traumatic, especially when you’ve been injured. With medical bills, doctor’s appointments, and insurance negotiations, you can get overwhelmed and confused.

A personal injury lawyer can take the reigns of your case so you can focus on healing.

When you get into a car accident, you can immediately be faced with a whirlwind of things to do, bills to pay, and insurance agents to speak to. Getting compensation for any injuries you may incur only adds to your stress, and the insurance company will want to try to pay out the minimum amount possible. An IL personal injury attorney can help you get the damages you deserve so you can focus on getting well.

You should especially consider hiring a personal injury lawyer IF:
– Your insurance company is either lagging in getting you compensation or is offering you an insufficient settlement.
– Your injuries are very severe.
– You’ve lost wages, suffered emotional trauma, loss of companionship, or other losses that aren’t specific to your medical bills.

Each state has certain time limits for filing a personal injury lawsuit. This is called the statute of limitations. Once the statute of limitations has passed, you’ll find it difficult or impossible to file a personal injury lawsuit. In Illinois, you have only 2 years from the date of your accident/injury to file a lawsuit. Failure to consult with a personal injury attorney in time can leave you unable to go to court and recover your damages.

NOTE: In some cases, the statute of limitations may begin at the “discovery date,” the date you found out you were injured. This is to help drivers who don’t discover their injuries until a later time. Speak with your personal injury lawyer to see if this may apply to you.

Fault in an accident is rarely cut and dry. For this reason, each state has laws that outline how damages get doled out when the fault is shared among the drivers. Illinois uses the modified comparative fault rule. In this system, your damages are cut by the percentage of fault you hold for the accident.
Example: So let’s say you were 30% at fault for an accident in which another driver hit you because you were speeding.

If the total damages were $100,000, you’d be eligible to receive $70,000 ($100,000 reduced by 30%).IMPORTANT NOTE: If you were 50% at fault or more, you would NOT be eligible to get ANY damages.

Personal injury cases can get tricky. Particularly when you involve damages that aren’t economic, such as pain and suffering, you can find it difficult to get the appropriate compensation on your own. An experienced personal injury attorney can guide you through the process, make sure you gather all the evidence you need and can help ensure a successful outcome.