United States Traffic Data reveals from 2010 to 2021, pedestrian deaths increased from 4,302 to 7,624, which is a 77% rise, many of which are caused by drivers who are distracted, driving recklessly, or exhibiting DUI behaviors. These numbers support legal intervention to provide financial relief to individuals who have lost loved ones or have had their lives negatively impacted by serious injury from a car accident. Experienced Chicago car accident attorneys at Dinizulu Law Group can assist clients with necessary reporting forms and answer victims’ questions regarding bodily injury, property damage, and catastrophic loss recovery options, and initiate litigation when an insurance settlement will not suffice.
Experienced car accident lawyers at Dinizulu Law Group assist car accident victims with damage recovery when an accident leaves them with short-term and/or lifelong residual personal injury, property damage, or wrongful death losses. Overwhelming losses after a car accident can include financial debt related to medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, or funeral expenses when a car accident results in fatal injury.
Insurance compensation
Auto accident attorneys can sue for damage compensation on behalf of car accident victims, utilizing supporting Illinois State accident laws. Illinois is a “fault,” state with regard to auto accidents, and requires drivers to carry a minimum amount of property damage and liability auto insurance. Accident victims have the right to pursue a personal injury, or property damage claim against an at-fault driver. This is referred to as filing a “third-party” claim.
The State of Illinois follows the modified comparative negligence rule, where an individual recovers damages if they are 50% or less at fault for an accident. However, if they were more than 50% at fault, damages would not be recoverable from the other driver. Damage amounts will be based on the assignment of fault for proven claims of negligence associated with mishaps involving a motor vehicle accident. Chicaco car accident attorneys at Dinizulu Law Group can explain in layman’s terms how the law applies in each situation, and apprise victims of any variations to the imposed time constraints for filing legal actions in court. Chicago accident lawyers are instrumental in filing insurance claims, communicating with insurance adjusters, initiating legal action in court, and appearing at hearings and settlement meetings.
Damages
A car accident lawyer in Chicago will review the damage valuation determinations for auto insurance claims, and other accidents requiring the payment of:
- Compensatory damages for economic losses including lost wages, medical bills, medical care, and treatment, plus household expenses and non-economic losses that include pain and suffering, loss of consortium, or companionship.
- Punitive damages when a car accident lawyer can prove that a defendant deliberately, with reckless disregard, acted in a manner to cause harm to another person, punitive damages may be awarded based on the specifics of a case.
Statute of limitations
When personal injury is caused by another driver, Illinois statute of limitations gives the victim two years from the date of the accident, but there can be exceptions so it is best to speak with Chicago car accident attorneys. If a legal claim is not filed before the set time period outlined therein, the state’s civil court system will refuse to hear the case unless there is an approved exception. Auto accident attorneys can apprise individuals of any deviations from state-specific timelines.
Post-accident action
A car accident attorney can explain the importance of taking certain actions right after the mishap to strengthen a personal injury case by securing a collection of supporting documentation. They include:
- Evaluate for injuries, and call emergency personnel.
- File accident report.
- Gather evidence at the scene, pictures of the cars, tag numbers, and surrounding location.
- Collect witness contact information.
- Collect insurance information.
- Seek examination by a medical professional.
- Contact insurance carriers.
- Consult with an attorney.
Chicago car accident attorneys guide post-accident actions in the best interests of victims
Personal injury case building
Car accidents are often the result of the action or inaction of another, and a victim may recover compensation if fault and/or liability is proven. Accident reports, witness testimony, and medical reports are important documentation for a personal injury attorney to prove negligence after a car accident. Experienced car accident attorneys in Illinois have years of personal injury experience dealing with automobile accident claims, providing strong case actions in court that support higher monetary award requests. They can utilize expert testimony by accident scene re-constructionists, financial professionals, and medical professionals who can convey the need for higher awards based on catastrophic injury requiring lifelong medical treatment, prolonged pain and suffering, and continued negative impacts to financial stability caused by diminished, or lost present and future earnings.
Wrongful death
Car accident attorneys will initiate a wrongful death legal action upon request for a decedent’s legal representatives and loved ones. These legal actions are initiated when a person dies as a result of the negligent, reckless, or deliberate act of another. Car accident lawyers can request necessary damages that cover medical bills, funeral and related expenses, lost wage compensation, pain and suffering, and punitive damages.
Hire legal counsel
Auto accident insurance claims and personal injury litigation necessary to recover car accident damages require the services of competent lawyers. Experienced attorneys can build strong cases with supporting evidence, and objectively speak on a victim’s behalf in court, or with an insurance company’s legal team to yield a positive result.
The Dinizulu Law Group accident attorneys can review your medical bills and rehabilitation expenses, and take the time to understand your pre-accident lifestyle to better assess your pain and suffering damages. If you are speaking to insurance adjusters, or are seeking damages from negligent parties, it is important to understand the value of your claim. Dinizulu Law Group attorneys will consider:
- Medical Costs: Our Chicago Illinois accident law firm will review your medical bills and speak to experts and medical professionals to estimate the future value of medical expenses and costs. Sometimes the value of future medical expenses can even exceed the value of medical costs already incurred.
- Lost Wages: It is important to consider future lost wages as well as past lost wages. If you have to change jobs due to your injuries, the Chicago Illinois accident lawyers at Dinizulu Law Group can also seek damages for work re-training and other services you may need to change careers.
- Pain and Suffering: Pain and suffering damages compensate you for your pain, suffering, and losses due to your injuries. These damages are subjective claims that will be considered in a recovery and are incredibly important. The extent of the pain and suffering recovery you may be entitled to receive will depend on the severity of your accident and the negative impacts on your livelihood. Pain and suffering damages are calculated using special formulas addressing the uniqueness of each claim.
Many factors will go into determining the value of your car accident claim. Before you settle with insurance adjusters or accept a recovery from a negligent party, it is important to speak to a car accident lawyer in Chicago at the Dinizulu Law Group. Our attorneys will review police reports, identify possible stakeholders, and help you understand the insurance claims processes and legal actions available for your case.
Identifying negligent parties
Accident lawyers will identify all possible “at fault” parties to a vehicle accident and determine the best fiscal outcomes for their clients by pinpointing percentages of shared fault among each. Once this determination is made, the damages will be calculated toward a total damage compensation award for the accident victim. Negligent parties may include more than one individual, or entity in many instances. Chicago car accident attorneys will streamline the processes of investigating the accident, evaluating the damages, and recovering insurance settlements, or court awards in a timely manner.
Legal counsel can protect your rights after a Chicago accident
If you have suffered bodily injury, property damage, or lost a loved one in a car accident near Chicago, Illinois, it is important to seek legal counsel as soon as possible. You may only have a limited amount of time to pursue a lawsuit for your motor vehicle accident under Illinois’ statute of limitations laws. Call 312-384-1920 for a FREE CONSULTATION and speak to an attorney at Dinizulu Law Group, in Chicago. for guidance on your rights, insurance filing requirements, and legal options toward damage compensation.
Our Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Help Illinois Accident Victims Through the Legal Process
After a car accident, you need experienced and capable legal representation to protect your rights. The auto accident lawyers in Chicago with the Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd. help car accident victims receive the compensation they are entitled to under the law.
Car accident collisions often cause extraordinary suffering and loss to motorists, passengers, and pedestrians, in addition to property damage to the vehicles involved in the accident. In Chicago and throughout Illinois, injured victims face medical bills, lost wages, pain, suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life. Family members suffer economic loss, mental anguish, and loss of companionship. In the event of a wrongful death, families are torn apart without warning.
At the Dinizulu Law Group, we understand that you may be hurting and confused after an accident. Our Chicago auto accident attorneys work diligently to get you the compensation you deserve after an accident, and our results speak for themselves.
Dinizulu Law Group Fights for You
At the Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd. in Chicago, our lawyers promptly investigate your car accident. Consulting with our experienced IL car accident lawyers immediately following an accident involving severe injury or death can greatly improve your chances of receiving compensation. Often times within the first week following a car accident important physical evidence is lost and witnesses become unavailable.
You should also talk to our Chicago car accident lawyers before speaking to insurance investigators or adjusters, or before giving recorded or written statements to anyone, including anyone at the scene of the accident. Our car accident lawyers in Chicago can also help make arrangements with your healthcare providers to defer payment until you receive compensation for your injuries.
The lawyers with the Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd. offer home and hospital visits for anyone seriously injured in a car accident if requested. While most cases are settled before trial, our Chicago car accident lawyers can and will go to trial if necessary to protect you and your loved ones. Contact us to discuss your case.
- Preserving your legal rights after a auto accident
- Frequently asked questions regarding car accidents
- Frequently asked questions regarding property damage resulting from a car accident
- Chicago Rules of the Road
Chicago Illinois Car Accidents: Preserving Your Legal Rights
If you have been involved in a car accident in Chicago or any other Illinois city, there are a number of things you can do to preserve your legal rights. First and foremost, you should not delay in consulting our Illinois car accident lawyers if you have been injured or have suffered property damage as a result of the car accident. Beyond that, the following is a summary of some of the most important things you can do to protect your legal rights after a car accident:
Do not leave the scene of your Illinois accident:
If you leave the scene of a car accident in Chicago or anywhere in Illinois, you may be criminally prosecuted. You are required to provide your name, address, driver’s license, and auto insurance information to the other driver.
Help the injured:
If someone has been injured in a car accident, you should call for paramedics and assist them to the extent you are qualified. Before calling for the ambulance, be prepared to give an accurate location of the car accident, motorcycle accident, or trucking accident and an assessment of the number of individuals injured in the wreck.
Avoid additional car accidents:
Make sure your vehicle is not presenting a safety hazard to other motorists. It should be moved so that it is not obstructing traffic, if possible. You can further notify oncoming traffic to proceed with caution by setting out flares, turning on your hazard lights, and raising the hood and trunk of your vehicle.
Notify the police of the car accident:
Typically the police will prepare a report that contains various information concerning the car accident and the parties involved. While you may not be required to call the police, the car accident reports they produce could be helpful to you later.
Do not admit liability for the auto accident:
You should not admit responsibility for the car accident to the other drivers, passengers, or to the police for that matter. You may convey facts concerning how the incident occurred; however, it is best not to comment on your responsibility (or liability) for the car accident. This is a legal matter that is not always readily and easily ascertainable. Judgment as to who was at fault should be reserved for a later time and be based on a number of factors. Our auto accident lawyers in Chicago can help you make sense of the often confusing situation after an accident, but you should not admit to any liability.
Obtain information from the other drivers and pedestrians involved in the accident:
You should get the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of any individuals involved in the car accident, as well as any witnesses to the accident. You should also obtain the name of the insurance company and the policy number of the other drivers involved. If possible, you may take photographs to document the car accident scene including skid marks, road obstructions, and damage to the vehicles. Make note of any statements made by other parties involved in the car accident.
Notify your insurance company of the car accident:
If you do not give your insurance company prompt notice, your policy may provide that the insurance company may deny coverage for your car accident claim. Accordingly, you should give your insurance company notice by way of telephone and by written notice that provides you a means of proving such notice was given, such as by facsimile or by certified mail. You should provide your insurance company with all information they request concerning the facts of the car accident. Our car accident lawyers can help you properly notify your insurance company if you contact us immediately following your accident.
Consult a doctor if you have been injured in an auto accident:
If you believe that you may have been injured in a car accident, you should consult a doctor. Some injuries may not manifest themselves until some period of time after the accident; therefore, the mere fact that you do not immediately feel as though you have been injured does not necessarily mean that no injury has occurred. You should consult your insurance agent to see if the cost of seeing a doctor in connection with the car accident is covered by your insurance policy. You should not settle your claims for injuries arising from the car accident until you have been advised by your doctor as to the full extent of your injuries.
Contact our car accident lawyers
You should consult with us promptly to be advised as to your legal rights. In Illinois, you have a two-year statute of limitation period in which you must file a lawsuit or be forever barred from bringing such a claim. Fact-sensitive exceptions to this rule may apply; therefore, our Illinois car accident lawyers should be consulted as soon as possible. Furthermore, by promptly notifying our lawyers, your car accident can be investigated by us in a timely manner, the events are fresh in witnesses’ minds, and the evidence is capable of being documented by way of photograph or otherwise.
Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd.
Address: 221 North LaSalle Suite 1100 Chicago, IL 60601
Phone: (312) 384-1920
Toll Free: 1-800-693-1LAW(1529)
Email: [email protected]
Sources.
https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/retail/slips.html
https://www.cdc.gov/homeandrecreationalsafety/falls/adultfalls.html
http://www.dph.illinois.gov/data-statistics/vital-statistics/death-statistics/more-statistics
http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/fulltext.asp?DocName=073500050K2-604.1
http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=2059
http://ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/documents/073500050K13-212.htm
https://insurance.illinois.gov/
https://www2.illinois.gov/sites/iwcc/Pages/default.aspx
http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/fulltext.asp?DocName=073500050K13-202
http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/fulltext.asp?DocName=062500050K7-203
http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/fulltext.asp?DocName=073500050K2-1116
http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/fulltext.asp?DocName=073500050K13-202