Personal Injury Law in Illinois
Life can change in a second and now you may be paying closer attention to those Illinois personal injury attorney commercials you see on TV. If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident, we understand that you may wish you didn’t have to deal with all of the logistics.
- Fortunately, an Illinois personal injury attorney will navigate the legal, medical, and insurance systems on your behalf and get you the money you need and deserve to start over.
- No one, including a personal injury lawyer, can make your injuries disappear overnight;however, the legal system is set up to compensate you so you can focus on healing, instead of worrying about paying your bills.
Your personal injury lawyer will provide the specifics applicable to your case, but in the meantime, we’ll discuss:
- The kinds of cases that Illinois personal injury lawyers handle.
- What you need to prove in a personal injury case.
- Why you should call a lawyer immediately.
- How to find an Illinois Personal Injury Attorney.
Would an Illinois Personal Injury Attorney Handle My Case?
Were you injured in the state of Illinois? If the answer is “yes”, an Illinois personal injury lawyer likely handles your type of case.
Here are examples of cases that PI lawyers take:
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Motor Vehicle Accidents. Car, motorcycle, truck, ATV, RV, boat, ferry, cruise ship, amusement park, mass accidents, bicycle, golf cart, construction zone, and pedestrian accidents.
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Defective Products. Defective appliances, equipment, power tools, hair dryers, vacuum cleaners, saws, machines, tools, cars, medications, kitchen tools, and chemicals.
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Medical Malpractice. Birth injuries, misdiagnosis, delayed diagnosis, failure to treat, wrongful death, adverse medication reactions, inappropriate surgery, and mistakes in surgery.
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Injuries. Wrongful death, birth injuries, brain injuries, adverse drug reactions, food-borne illnesses, scars, fractures, lacerations, bruises, broken bones, nursing home abuse injuries, burns, Mesothelioma (i.e. cancer), slip and falls injuries, and dog bites.
If you’re injured on the job, you’re covered by Workers Compensation insurance; however if you’re not getting your rightful benefits or you were injured by a defective or mislabeled product, consult with an Illinois personal injury lawyer.
How Do I Prove My Illinois Personal Injury Case?
Usually personal injury cases are won by proving negligence. To win your case, you must prove:
- First, the defendant failed to reasonably fulfill a duty to you.
- Second, the defendant’s failure caused you injury.
- Third, you suffered legal damages because of those injuries.
Why Should I Call a Personal Injury Lawyer Immediately?
The sooner you have a lawyer on your side, the better. Your PI attorney will help you:
- To preserve evidence.
- To make sure you don’t say something wrong to the insurance companies.
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To avoid missing the deadline for case filings.
Here are some example Illinois statute of limitations for personal injury cases:
- Medical Malpractice is 2 years (735 Ill. Comp. Stat. 5/13-212).
- Personal Injury is 2 years (735 Ill. Comp. Stat. 5/13-202).
- Wrongful Death is 2 years (740 Ill. Comp. Stat. 180/2).
- Property Damage is 5 years (735 Ill. Comp. Stat. 5/13-205).
How Do I Find an Illinois Personal Injury Attorney?
To find an Illinois personal injury lawyer, search our site, www.attorneys.org, or ask the bar association or a loved one for a referral.
