Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer

Personal injuries are costly and painful but if they were caused because someone else was negligent, you can recover those losses. These may include the cost of surgeries, medication, mobility aids, and property damage. It also includes the income you lost while you were recovering. Financial certainty can help injured parties move forward with their lives, and the most effective way to secure compensation is with a Chicago personal injury lawyer.

When you work with an attorney, a civil claim is more likely to succeed, and you are more likely to receive the maximum compensation that exists for your damages. Navigating civil negotiations or a civil court case while you’re still injured can be impossibly frustrating. You can rest and heal while you let your attorney navigate the complexities of your case.

Personal Injury Attorneys at Connolly Injury Law

Connolly Injury Law is a full-service law firm helping injury victims throughout Chicagoland recover compensation for the harm done to them by the negligence of another. Financial recovery after an accident isn’t automatic. The injured victim has to either negotiate an appropriate settlement amount with the insurance company or take them to court, where the victim will have to prove all the elements of a negligence claim – that the defendant breached a duty of care to the plaintiff, and that failure caused injury to the plaintiff that requires payment for the plaintiff’s medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and permanent disability.

Insurance companies try to protect their bottom line by low settlements to get rid of claims or by challenging the plaintiff’s case. They’ll dispute that their insured was responsible for the injury, or they’ll argue the plaintiff isn’t seriously injured at all. They might also allege the victim’s own negligence is at least partly to blame. In Illinois, being found partially to blame for an accident reduces your claim proportionately, and persons found to be more than 50% at fault can’t recover anything at all from the other party.

At Connolly Injury Law, we know from experience how much your case is worth and how much you should settle for. We also know all the insurance company tricks they use to get out of paying, and we know how to deal with their tactics and prove your case in or out of court. Our team has nearly 15 years of experience in personal injury law, and we apply this knowledge to the unique needs of your case.

If you’ve been injured because of another’s negligence in Cook County or surrounding areas, let Chicago personal injury lawyer Mark Connolly help you get the medical care and compensation you need. Our team has experience in some of the following personal injury areas:

• Auto Accidents
• Motorcycle Accidents
• Nursing Home Abuse
• Pedestrian Accidents
• Premises Liability
• Scooter Accidents
• Serious Injury
• Slip & Fall
• Truck Accidents
• Uber & Lyft Accidents
• Wrongful Death

This is not a complete list of our personal injury experience. Talk with our firm to see how we can help with your personal injury case.

What Is Required to Prove Another Party Liable?

To hold another party liable for your damages, you must prove that they were at fault. Typically, a party is at fault because they were negligent, although claims are also based on intentional misconduct or malice. The elements of proving fault are:

1. Showing that the party owed you a duty of care
2. Demonstrating that they breached their duty of care through action or inaction
3. Proving that the breach of duty caused the accident and injury
4. Listing the compensable damages you suffered

All four elements must be proven for a successful claim.

Understanding the Personal Injury Claims We Handle

Personal injury law is a varied legal field. Different accident types require different investigation methods and different forms of evidence, as they have different commonly at-fault parties. Each injury has unique treatment costs, long-term effects, and required care. It is important to work with an attorney who understands the unique needs of the type of accident you were in and your resulting injuries.

When you work with an experienced attorney, your claim is more likely to be successful. It can also be handled more quickly and less stressfully. At Connolly Injury Law, we have navigated some of the following accidents and injuries:

Motor Vehicle Accidents

Motor vehicle accidents cause many personal injuries on a daily basis. Illinois is an at-fault car accident state, so all insurance claims are filed with the provider of the driver who caused the accident. Fault can be contested, and this can make filing these claims harder. You need an attorney who can conduct a thorough investigation to determine and prove fault.

Mark Connolly has a long history of representing motor vehicle accident victims and has amassed a record of substantial results for people hurt in Chicagoland car and truck crashes. Connolly Injury Law handles all kinds of motor vehicle accidents in communities in and around Cook County, including pedestrian accidents, motorcycle crashes, bicycle accidents, rideshare collisions, and more.

Pedestrian, Motorcycle, and Bicycle Accidents

When these parties are involved in accidents with motor vehicles, they are likely to sustain significant and fatal injuries. When a driver is at fault, these parties or their surviving family members can hold them fully liable for their damages. Under comparative negligence laws, parties can still be held liable, even if the injured party was partially at fault. Because these cases result in such significant injuries, they can often still lead to a substantial settlement.

Truck Accidents

Collisions between large commercial vehicles and smaller motor vehicles cause serious damage. Commercial vehicles are heavier and larger, and they often do not have time to reduce their speed before a collision. Those in passenger vehicles are likely to have catastrophic and debilitating injuries.

Truck accident claims are additionally complicated due to the number of parties who may be at fault. Injured parties also often have to deal with commercial companies’ insurance providers. An attorney is incredibly helpful for navigating these claims successfully.

Rideshare (Uber and Lyft) Accidents

In some cases, these accidents operate like any car accident claim. However, if the rideshare driver is the at-fault party, liability can be more complicated. Either the driver’s personal insurance or the insurance of the rideshare company will be liable, and determining this will depend on several factors. It’s important to work with an attorney who understands these regulations.

Regardless of the type of motor vehicle accident, it is crucial to find the cause of the accident to then discover the at-fault party. This investigation also gathers information to prove the extent of your damages.

Mark has the experience and wherewithal to obtain all of the crucial evidence that will help to prove your case. This includes accident reports, red light camera video, social media documentation, emergency calls, witnesses statements, among others. Mark has worked with numerous experts throughout the years that will assist in interpreting this data and winning your case.

Wrongful Death

The loss of a loved one as a result of the negligence of someone else can be one of the most devastating and traumatic experiences for a family. Their grief is overwhelming and they are simply looking for answers. Mark Connolly has recovered millions of dollars for families that have gone through these tragedies.

Families of wrongful death victims are entitled to recover damages that take into consideration numerous factors including the loss of affection, money, goods, and society from their loved one as well as their own grief and sorrow and mental suffering.

Mark will pursue all responsible parties and seek out every avenue of recovery on behalf of his clients. No amount of money will ever fill that void that a family will experience in these heartbreaking situations. Connolly Injury Law will be there for your family and seek justice for these heartbreaking events.

Slip and Fall/Premises Liability

The Illinois Premises Liability Act requires property owners to exercise reasonable care in maintaining a safe premises for customers, guests, delivery persons and others who might enter their property. Depending on the circumstances, “reasonable care” might include making periodic inspections of the property and promptly cleaning up spills or repairing defects, and putting up warnings about hazards until the condition can be fixed. When a property owner fails to take such actions, they can be liable for the harm these hazards cause.

When a person does slip and fall, store owners and their insurers are either quick with a lowball settlement, or they will claim the victim wasn’t watching where they were going, or employees didn’t have a reasonable time to clean up the spill before the accident happened and therefore shouldn’t be liable. There are cases where an injured party is partially liable, but this does not always bar them from recovering damages. An attorney is essential for proving the liability of a property owner and obtaining compensation for injured victims.

In addition to maintaining floors, stairs and entrances safe and free of hazards, property owners are obliged to provide adequate security to prevent robberies and sexual assaults on their premises. Connolly Injury Law represents victims of assaults in apartment complexes, parking garages and stairwells when the owner or property manager failed to take reasonable steps to keep the area well-lit and secure.

Premises liability cases can be difficult to prove, but Chicago injury lawyer Mark Connolly has successfully represented individuals injured in slip and fall accidents and other premises liability injuries both on and off the job. He will always pursue creative and resourceful means of obtaining evidence to prove these difficult cases and maximize the recovery for his clients.

Dog Bites

Dog bites and animal attacks can result in deep cuts, serious infections, broken bones and disfigurement, in addition to being emotionally terrifying and traumatic events. Tragically, dozens of people lose their lives every year after being mauled by another person’s pet.

Illinois law holds dog owners strictly liable for harm caused by their pets. It is irrelevant whether the owner was careful or negligent in keeping the animal or had any reason to expect the dog might bite. So long as the victim was lawfully on the premises where the attack occurred and did not provoke the animal, the owner can be held liable for the harm suffered.

Connolly Injury Law can help make sure you get adequately compensated for the serious damages caused by a dog bite, even if the dog’s owner was a friend or family member. Homeowner’s insurance and other policies are often available to cover these claims.

Nursing Home Negligence and Abuse

Residents of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities deserve respect, compassion, and care for their well-being. It is unacceptable when residents are neglected or abused by staff or other parties. Negligence can cause health issues, malnourishment, and other harm. Even more significant physical and emotional harm can come from intentional abuse.

Residents of these facilities or their loved ones can file a personal injury or medical malpractice claim to hold these parties accountable for their failures. At Connolly Injury Law, we can advocate strongly for the rights and interests of you and your family. We work to protect residents from continued harm and obtain fair compensation for their damages.

Medical Malpractice

Most people would be shocked at how often medical mistakes happen, from cancer misdiagnoses and medication errors to surgeons operating on the wrong part of the body. Some errors go unnoticed, and patients don’t know whether a bad outcome was due to medical error or bad luck. But research has shown medical malpractice is so bad that it is actually a leading cause of death in the U.S. Medical negligence and malpractice occur when a patient suffers harm because a medical provider did not act with the professionally accepted standard of care.

It takes a lot of work and the help of medical experts to uncover and prove medical malpractice. Doctors need to be held accountable for the sake of the injured patient and to improve future outcomes for others. If you think something went wrong in the treatment of yourself or a loved one, it’s worth talking to a Chicago personal injury lawyer to see if you might have a case.

Catastrophic and Serious Injuries

This is a category of personal injuries that results in life-long consequences and complications. Because of this, settlements must be substantial to reflect the personal and financial losses, both now and for the rest of an individual’s life. Serious injuries can be caused by many forms of personal injury accidents, such as motor vehicle accidents, medical malpractice, slip and falls, and other incidents.

It’s crucial that the attorney you work with understands how to calculate the long-term costs of being unable to work, replacement household services or at-home care, and having constant medical needs and complications.

Understanding Comparative Negligence in Chicago

Illinois uses modified comparative negligence laws. If you are partially at fault for an accident, you may still be eligible for compensation for your injuries. Each party is liable for its own percentage of fault in an accident, and only those with 50% fault or more are barred from recovering compensation. The percentage of fault for each party is determined either by a judge, jury, insurance provider, or attorneys.

Although you can recover compensation if you are partially at fault, this compensation is limited. If you are determined to be 35% liable for the accident, your final settlement will be calculated and then reduced by 35%. Depending on the severity of your damages, this can still be a significant amount.

Whether you are partially at fault or an insurance provider is trying to claim that you are, it’s important to have an attorney. They can reduce the percentage of fault to what is fair or prove that you were not at all liable. This can significantly increase the value of your settlement.

FAQs

Q: What Is a Personal Injury Lawyer?

A: A personal injury lawyer represents individuals in civil personal injury claims. When someone is injured and suffers other losses due to another party’s negligence, recklessness, or malice, that party is liable for all damages. A party may also be liable under strict liability. A personal injury attorney helps an injured party navigate negotiations and the litigation of a civil claim. They also work to secure the highest settlement possible for the injured party, given their unique circumstances and injuries.

Q: What Is the Law of Personal Injuries?

A: Personal injury law allows injured parties to hold a party liable for being at fault for an accident. When a party is found entirely responsible for the injury, they are liable for the entirety of the injured party’s damages. In Illinois, personal injury claims operate under comparative negligence laws, which means that injured parties can still recover damages, even if they are as much as 49% liable for an accident. Personal injury claims have a statute of limitations of two years and only a limit of four years under the rule of discovery.

Q: What Is the Average Payout for a Personal Injury Claim in Chicago?

A: The payout for a personal injury claim in Chicago entirely relies on the unique damages that you suffered and your percentage of fault. If other parties are fully liable for the accident, then you can recover all damages, including noneconomic and economic damages. If you were partially at fault, these damages will be reduced. Other factors that influence your claim’s value include:

• The severity of your injuries
• Your income and how long you were unable to work
• Whether your case includes punitive damages
• The long-term impact of your injury
• The skill of your attorney

Q: What Is Defined as a Personal Injury?

A: A personal injury includes any physical, mental, or psychological injuries. Personal injury law applies when another party is liable for the accident or incident that caused these injuries. When their liability can be proven, those injuries, as well as other personal damages and financial losses, are compensable in a civil personal injury claim. Injured parties can cover medical bills, lost income, and other damages that were a direct result of the accident.

Justice for Victims of Personal Injury or Wrongful Death in Chicago

Connolly Injury Law works skillfully and diligently to get the full amount of compensation for accident victims and their families in cases of personal injury or wrongful death, including fighting for punitive damages in appropriate damages. If you or a loved one has been injured by the negligence of another, call the Chicago personal injury lawyers at Connolly Injury Law at 312-780-0819. Your call is free, and there’s no fee if we don’t win your case.