What Is My Personal Injury Case Worth In Illinois
There are many costs associated with a personal injury, both personally and financially. An accident, whether it be a dog bite, motor vehicle incident or slip and fall often has a tremendous negative impact on your quality of life. Fortunately, if a person, company or government entity is in any way responsible for your injury, you may have recourse for damages in the state of Illinois.
How strong is the liability against the other party?
With every case you must first prove that the other party is liable or responsible for the accident and resulting injuries. The strength of your case largely depends on the evidence that can be gathered. Evidence may include tangible material items such as a damaged vehicle or even photos and video from the accident. Medical reports, hospital bills and proof of lost wages will also be important to your case.
You may not even realize you have a personal injury case until you seek legal counsel. An experienced attorney can identify areas of recovery for your injury that you may not have considered. Questions to contemplate in your situation may include:
- Were you stopped at a stop light and rear-ended or were you t-boned after turning on a yellow light?
- Did you slip and fall at a business? What caused you to slip?
- Did you provoke the dog that bit you or did it chase after you out of nowhere?
- Did the doctor make you aware of the potential side effects or risk factors?
Who are all the responsible parties and do they have insurance coverage?
Ultimately every personal injury case needs to have a means of recovery to be successful. Unfortunately not every potential party carries insurance to pursue damages. In other cases, their insurance carrier fights the application of their policy to the actual accident. At the outset, we must identify every potential liability party and source of recovery. Questions to be considered in your case may include:
- Was the defendant working at the time he/she caused your accident?
- Did they or their employer have insurance?
- Does that insurance cover them at the time of the accident?
- Do you have uninsured/underinsured coverage?
- Does an umbrella policy apply?
Time is often of the essence after a personal injury. In general, there is a two-year statute of limitations in the state of Illinois in which an injured party must file their claim. This date may be the “discovery date” (when you learned you were actually injured) rather than the date of the actual accident. If the claim is against a public entity or municipality the statute of limitations period is likely only one year making the investigation of the claim even more time-sensitive.
What can I expect to receive?
Each state has a slightly different set of standards for proving and collecting on personal injury cases. Illinois courts, for example, allow plaintiffs in injury suits to collect damages even if they are partially at fault (less than 50 percent). The specific nature of the personal injury impacts how damages are determined. Where and how you were injured will be integral in establishing your claim. Types of cases may include:
- Motor Vehicle Accident
- Wrongful Death
- Premises Liability
- Dog Bite
- Medical Malpractice
- Construction Negligence
Your financial recovery depends on how the injury or accident has affected your life. A skilled attorney will analyze all of the damages incurred and pursue all avenues. Economic damages usually include medical bills and lost wages, both past and future. But there are also non-economic factors that may be a part of the total determination of damages. These may include pain and suffering, disability or loss of normal life, and loss of society or companionship of a loved one that died as a result of the accident.
Contact Connolly Injury Law
At Connolly Injury Law, our Chicago personal injury lawyer can analyze every factor to ensure the best possible result on a client’s case. We gather all of the relevant evidence to put forth the strongest case and maximize the potential recovery. If you are in the Chicago area and have recently been a victim of a personal injury or accident, call (312)-780-0816 and be connected with someone who will fight for you.
