Kane County Personal Injury Lawyer
When you have suffered a personal injury because another person was careless or reckless, you can recover compensation for your financial and emotional damages. If you are able to prove that the party is liable, they are responsible for all these costs. Establishing liability is much easier with the help of a Kane County personal injury lawyer, particularly while you recover from your injury.
Many personal injury claims deal directly with insurance companies. Insurance companies’ main goal is to protect their own finances and limit their liability. They do not look out for your interests. Insurance companies will do what they can to give you a low settlement, including claiming that you were at fault or that your injuries were not caused by the accident. A skilled attorney is crucial for combating these tactics and obtaining the settlement you deserve.
Protecting Injury Victims in Our Community
Financial compensation can enable you to take time to rest and recover. It can also provide you with much-needed financial stability. A skilled and knowledgeable attorney can help you negotiate your settlement to get the highest possible amount for your circumstances. Connolly Injury Law has handled personal injury claims for almost 15 years and can use that experience to provide you with comprehensive legal care.
Our team understands that every personal injury claim is different. When you approach us with a potential case, we take the necessary time to understand your individual circumstances. That way, we can determine how to tailor our knowledge and legal service to that case. We calculate the value of your claim, investigate the accident or incident, and negotiate on your behalf with the at-fault party or their insurance provider. Our firm can help you obtain the recovery you need.
Kane County Personal Injury Claims
Personal injury law is a varied field, with different cases involving unique injuries, different liability laws, and different tactics for investigation. Because of this, it is essential that the personal injury attorney you work with in Kane County has an understanding of your type of case and injuries. Although every situation is different, there are similarities among many types of cases that can help each one be resolved more efficiently and successfully.
Connolly Injury Law has worked on many types of personal injury claims, including, but not limited to:
Auto Accidents
Car accident claims are filed with the at-fault driver’s insurance provider in Illinois. In some accidents, the at-fault party is clear, while others require an investigation. Auto accidents can be caused by speeding, inclement weather, distracted driving, and driving under the influence. Most accidents are the fault of a driver, but some accidents can be caused by poor road maintenance or faulty car parts. In these cases, a personal injury claim against another party may be appropriate.
Car accidents are unfortunately common and can be minor or catastrophic. A car insurance claim can recover the cost of healthcare, the damage to your vehicle, and any income you lost due to your injury. There are many types of auto accidents, including those involving bicyclists, trucks, rideshare cars, and other vehicles and individuals.
Motorcycle Accidents
When a motorcycle and a passenger car are involved in a collision, the effects are often devastating for the motorcyclist. These accidents often result in injuries such as amputations, spinal cord and spine injuries, serious burns, traumatic brain injuries, and fatal injuries. Surviving family members can file a wrongful death claim on behalf of their loved ones, whether they were killed during the accident or later from their injuries.
Even if a motorcyclist is partially liable for the accident, a claim may still have financial benefits. Motorcyclists frequently suffer far more damage when they collide with a car. Under Illinois’s comparative negligence laws, it may be financially worthwhile to file for damages as an injured motorcyclist.
Nursing Home Abuse
When you place your elderly loved ones in a long-term care facility, you expect them to be treated with respect, dignity, and compassion. The staff at nursing homes are expected to provide safety and care for the residents. Unfortunately, staff can sometimes be negligent or even abusive. This is not acceptable, and the at-fault staff or other party should be held accountable. This may be done with a personal injury claim or a medical malpractice claim.
Staff can behave negligently, leading to residents becoming malnourished, dehydrated, and deprived of essential medications. Neglected residents can also fall frequently, leave the premises, or be harmed by visitors. Nursing home staff can also be abusive to residents, including physical, sexual, emotional, and financial abuse.
Medical Malpractice
Medical malpractice claims are complicated personal injury claims. These require significant resources and investigation. They occur when a healthcare provider fails to uphold their professional standard of duty of care, and their negligence causes a patient harm, injury, or death. An attorney can help you determine if you have a valid medical malpractice claim.
Pedestrian Accidents
Accidents involving passenger cars or other vehicles and pedestrians can be incredibly injurious and fatal for pedestrians. If the driver was at fault, a pedestrian or their surviving loved ones could file a claim.
Scooter Accidents
Scooter accidents can involve personal injury laws in addition to legal regulations for scooters, pedestrians, cars, and bicycles. These cases can become very complex, and it’s important that your attorney understands their unique specifications.
Serious Injuries
When you suffer a serious injury, such as from a car accident, a dog bite, or an injury from a violent crime, it can have a long-term effect on you and your life. These injuries can cause physical damage, such as disability and impairment, as well as emotional and psychological harm. The compensation in these claims must appropriately match these significant losses and account for the long-term inability to work. Your attorney must know how to navigate these unique issues.
Premises Liability
Premises liability claims, including slip and fall accidents, occur when there are hazards on public or private property. When the property owner does not address the hazard in a reasonable period of time, and someone is injured due to these hazards, the injured party can file a claim against the property owner. Hazards include slippery floors, loose carpeting, broken stairs, damaged elevators, and electricity or wire hazards.
Truck Accidents
Collisions between commercial trucks and passenger cars typically result in significant damages and are often fatal for those in smaller vehicles. These accidents are especially complex due to the many potentially liable parties.
Rideshare Accidents
Rideshare accidents may involve an insurance claim with the rideshare company (such as Uber and Lyft), the rideshare driver, another driver, or a third party. An attorney can help determine what laws apply to the situation and which party you should file with.
Wrongful Death
When a loved one is in an accident that was someone else’s fault and they do not survive, certain family members can file a wrongful death claim to recover financial damages. This can give your family some certainty, particularly if the deceased was a major source of income, and can hold the at-fault party responsible.
FAQs
Q: What Is Required to Prove Negligence?
A: There are four elements that you must prove to hold someone liable based on the theory of negligence. These are:
- Duty of Care: The party owed you a reasonable duty of care.
- Breach of Duty: The party acted or failed to act in a negligent manner, breaching their duty of care.
- Causation: This breach directly caused the accident and injury.
- Damages: You suffered economic and noneconomic damages as a result of the accident.
Q: How Do I Prove Negligence for Personal Injury in Illinois?
A: To prove negligence for personal injury claims in Illinois, you will need to gather important evidence regarding the accident, its cause, your injuries, your financial losses, and other information. This may include evidence such as:
- CCTV, such as surveillance or dashcam footage
- Other video and photographic evidence of the accident and injuries
- Witness statements
- Police reports
- Cell phone records
- Employment information
- Healthcare documentation
An attorney can make the process of gathering this evidence much more effective, allowing you to rest and relax.
Q: Is Illinois a No-Fault State for Car Accidents?
A: No, Illinois is not a no-fault state for car accidents. It is an at-fault state, so determining fault after a car accident is essential. Once fault is determined, any injured parties can file their insurance claim with the at-fault driver’s provider to cover property damages, medical costs, and other losses. If a driver does not have the required insurance or the maximum coverage does not cover the damages, injured parties could file with their own uninsured/underinsured coverage or file a personal injury claim.
Q: Can Liability for Personal Injury Be Limited?
A: There are ways to limit personal injury liability in the U.S. in certain contractual circumstances. Additionally, liability may be altered in an individual personal injury case, depending on whether the injured party is partially at fault and the laws governing the particular state.
Illinois is a comparative negligence state, meaning that an injured party’s compensation is limited if they were less than 50% liable, and it is reduced by the percentage that they were liable. If they are 50% or more at fault, they will be barred from compensation.
Connolly Injury Law: Personal Injury Attorneys in Kane County
If you have been injured because someone else acted negligently, you could file a personal injury claim. At Connolly Injury Law, we want to help you get the most from that claim. Contact our team today.
