Chicago Personal Injury Lawyers
A severe injury can leave you saddled with debt and unsure about the future. But Lane Brown LLC offers a simple path forward. Speak with one of our experienced personal injury lawyers to learn more about filing a personal injury case. Our expert personal injury attorneys are dedicated to your case from start to finish and will get you the compensation you deserve.
You could be injured by someone else’s actions at any time or place. When that happens, a personal injury claim lets you seek compensation for the hardships you’re being forced to face.
However, filing a personal injury claim is only one step in a long process. You’re bound to deal with guilty parties that try to dodge the blame, reluctant insurance companies, piles of paperwork, and lots of stress, all while you’re in pain.
Don’t deal with all that yourself. Instead, enlist the help of a personal injury lawyer at Lane Brown, LLC. Our team has over 130 years of combined experience with personal injury claims. We’re ready to put that experience to work by protecting your rights.
Personal Injury Claims for Serious Injuries
Serious injuries can radically alter your life in unexpected ways. They can make you unable to work or, in some cases, even take care of yourself. These injuries are also expensive to treat and leave many victims with crushing medical debt.
By starting on your claim right away, you can prevent as much damage to your financial well-being as possible.
Below are a few of the serious injuries you can be compensated for:
- Brain Injuries – Injuries to the brain can have long-lasting effects on your ability to work or care for yourself.
- Spine Injuries – Damage to the spine can result in paralysis, which can forever alter your life.
- Broken Bones – Fractures and broken bones can cause debilitating pain and even sever arteries and veins. This can lead to life-threatening effects like internal bleeding.
- Severe Burns – Burns can permanently scar or disfigure you, causing emotional trauma and damaging your self-image.
Common Chicago Personal Injury Claims
Personal injury claim types vary widely, but a handful tend to pop up frequently in Chicago because of factors like our heavy traffic, surplus of medical facilities, and various forms of public transportation.
The following are some common types of claims handled by our personal injury lawyers:
- Car Accidents – Auto wrecks are a common sight on Chicago’s streets. Many of them are the result of negligent drivers. If you were injured because of another driver’s negligence, you can file an injury claim.
- Motorcycle Crashes – Motorcycle accidents are often the result of drivers who don’t check their mirrors for bikers. Sadly, these accidents regularly result in major injuries.
- Commercial Truck Collisions – Truckers are frequently tired or distracted. When they get onto crowded expressways, these driving impairments can quickly turn dangerous. Victims of truck crashes can hold one of several parties accountable for their injuries, including the trucker, trucking company, cargo loader, or truck manufacturer.
- Public Transit Accidents – While this form of transportation is safer than most, accidents do happen. If you’re hurt in a public transit accident, you might name the transit company or agency, the driver, or even a mechanic in your claim.
- Pedestrian and Bicycle Crashes – Bicycle crashes are all too common in our city. That’s partly because motorists forget that cyclists have the same right to the road as they do. When a pedestrian or cyclist is hit by a car, severe injuries can occur. Luckily, victims can take legal action against the negligent driver.
- Premises Liability Claims – Property owners must protect visitors from hazards like wet floors, unrestrained dogs, and faulty construction. When they fail to do that, injured victims can sue the property owner for negligence.
- Defective Product Injuries – Defective medications, faulty brakes, fire-starting electronics, and tainted produce are some common products that injure people. Manufacturers are liable for any injuries caused by their unsafe or defective products.
- Medical Malpractice – When healthcare professionals fail to maintain established standards of care, they can and should be held accountable for the injuries they cause. Examples of medical malpractice include improper prescriptions, unnecessary surgery, and missed or incorrect diagnoses.
- Nursing Home Abuse – Nursing homes are meant to care for the elderly. Sadly, many facilities fail in that obligation, and some even contribute to elder abuse. Those that do can be held accountable in civil court.
- Workplace Injuries – Workers’ compensation benefits apply to most workplace injury victims. In some cases, though, you may be able to sue. Filing an injury claim will usually lead to a greater payout than what workers’ comp can provide.
Accounting for the Impact of Your Personal Injury
The primary goal of any personal injury claim is to win money for your injuries and other damages. That’s why most injury victims are mainly concerned with how much they stand to receive if their claim is successful. Your personal injury attorney won’t be able to give you an accurate settlement estimate before assessing your case’s evidence and details. But, they can give you an idea of all the damages for which you could be repaid. These include:
- Medical bills
- Lost income
- Property damage
- Renovations to your home to accommodate your injuries
- Reduced quality of life
- Emotional trauma
- Scarring or disfigurement
- Loss of companionship
- Wrongful death
Areas We Serve
- Aurora
- Bolingbrook
- Cicero
- Des Plaines
- Evanston
- Joliet
- Naperville
- Oak Lawn
- Schaumburg
- Skokie
- Waukegan
Consult an Expert Personal Injury Attorney Today
Getting what you’re owed is no easy feat. It takes a lot of time, resources, and legal knowledge. When you’re already dealing with the fallout of an injury, you probably don’t want to add all that to your plate.
Reduce your stress and boost your chances of winning the money you need to move forward with your life. Speak with Lane Brown, LLC. Schedule a free, no-pressure consultation with a Chicago personal injury lawyer. Call us at 312-332-1400 or fill out the contact form below.
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CHICAGO PERSONAL INJURY LAWYER FAQ
Understanding Negligence in Illinois Personal Injury Claims
Injured accident victims are able to file personal injury claims because of the laws regarding negligence in Illinois. When a person is negligent or careless, and that carelessness results in another person’s injury, the negligent party can be held financially responsible. This means that you can sue the person for damages in civil court. When you pursue a case against an at-fault party, you are doing so for two main reasons: compensation for your losses and justice for the harm that person has done to you. One other important note about negligence is that you don’t have to be 100 percent faultless in order to seek damages. Even if you are partially to blame for the accident that harmed you, you can still pursue a claim against the other party for the role he or she played in your accident—as long as that person’s fault is greater than yours. This is called contributory fault.
Illinois Personal Injury Statute of Limitations
Most states set a time limit on how long you have to file a personal injury claim after an accident. This time limit is called the “statute of limitations.” If you fail to file your claim within the allotted time, you won’t be able to file a claim at all—no matter how much evidence you have or how much you deserve compensation. The statute of limitations in Illinois is two years from the date of your injury accident. Don’t risk having your case rejected by waiting too long. Even if you still have plenty of time until the timeframe expires, you should file your case as soon as possible.
Most Common Types of Chicago Personal Injury Cases
There are a great many ways a person can suffer injury because of another’s negligence; however, there are some common injury types, and it is helpful to know them as the laws are different depending on which case you have. For instance, if you have a medical malpractice case, there are different rules and laws that govern how that type of case should be handled. It is much more difficult to prove medical negligence than it is to prove general negligence. Each case is unique, and some are much more complex than others. You can rest assured that your Chicago personal injury attorney will know how to address your case to get the compensation you deserve. Listed below are the most common types of personal injury cases and a little information about each case type.
- Motor vehicle collisions
- Product liability
- Premises liability
- Medical negligence
- Sexual abuse
- Elder abuse
Determining Fault for Your Injury Accident
When you file an injury claim, you are asserting that someone has harmed you and that he or she owes you damages for that harm. But how can you really be sure who was at fault for your accident? In some cases, the fault will be extremely obvious and easy to prove. For example, if you were sitting in a parked car and a driver came along and hit you, chances are that it was the other driver’s fault. Not all cases are this clear-cut and easy to prove, however. In fact, most cases aren’t. In order to determine who is liable for your accident, you will have to investigate. Your Chicago personal injury lawyer from Lane Brown, LLC will assist you with the entire investigation process, as well as with the entire personal injury process from start to finish. Below is a list of evidence types that might be needed to prove your personal injury claim:
- Witness statements
- Expert witness testimony, such as medical experts or accident scene investigators
- Police reports
- Video footage and photos of the accident scene and your injuries
- Physical evidence pertaining to your claim
- Medical evidence of your injuries, including doctor statements
- Medical history
Have I missed the deadline to file a personal injury claim?
Every state sets a deadline for filing personal injury claims. In Illinois, this deadline, referred to as the statute of limitations, is two years from the date of your accident, in most cases.
Can I still be compensated for my personal injury if I hold some of the blame?
Yes, as long as you aren’t more than 50 percent responsible. Thanks to comparative negligence, you can file a claim for your injuries even if you hold some of the blame. However, keep in mind that any percentage of blame you hold will ultimately be subtracted from the amount you receive. If, for example, you’re deemed 30 percent responsible for your car accident, you’ll only receive 70 percent of the amount awarded to you.
Will I have to go to court for a personal injury claim in Chicago?
Not necessarily. But you might need to if the other side won’t make a fair settlement offer. The majority of Chicago personal injury claims settle before they ever see the inside of a courtroom. But when the other side won’t negotiate, your lawyer might need to take the at-fault parties to court to get you what you’re owed.
