Rachael J. Leah

Personal injuries can strike anyone at any time. Your life can be uprooted and changed in a split second, sometimes forever. The accident was not your fault, and you should not be left to shoulder the burden alone. To alleviate the financial and psychological consequences of the accident, you may have a legal claim against the person responsible.

An Illinois personal injury lawyer can help you file a claim against the at-fault party. ABC Law Firm has fought for injured parties like you to pursue justice and protect their legal rights for decades.

What Do I Need to Prove to Have a Personal Injury Case?

Negligence forms the basis of most personal injury claims, meaning that the at-fault party failed to meet their obligations to you and caused your injury. To win a negligence claim, victims need to prove the following were at play:

1. The responsible party owed you a duty of care. All persons owe others a duty to act reasonably prudent under the circumstances, but in some cases, the defendant’s special knowledge or position may impose additional obligations.
2. The at-fault party failed to meet (breached) the duty of care. The defendant’s conduct did not meet the standard of care required under the circumstances. For example, they did not follow the traffic laws or did not put up a “Wet Floor” sign.
3. The breach caused the accident. The defendant’s failure to meet their duty led to the accident. Put another way, had the defendant acted differently (e.g., by stopping at the red light), the accident may not have occurred.
4. You suffered injuries. You must show that you suffered harm because of the accident. Victims can do so by showing that they incurred medical bills, missed work, or suffered other adverse consequences.

You are most likely going through a lot right now. In addition to juggling your day-to-day obligations, you are healing from the accident and navigating the confusing realm of a personal injury lawsuit.

An attorney can help alleviate this burden by handling the legal paperwork while you focus on what is most important to you.

What Types of Damages Can I Get for My Personal Injury?

In Illinois, you may receive three broad types of damages for your personal injury case: economic, noneconomic, and punitive.

Economic Damages

As the name suggests, economic damages compensate you for the financial losses because of the accident. Such losses include medical bills, lost wages, prescription costs, and property repairs.

Noneconomic Damages

As you know, money is one of many losses you experience because of an accident. There are intangible losses, such as being unable to do the activities you could before the accident. Noneconomic damages seek to address these human losses by compensating victims for things like pain and suffering and loss of enjoyment of life.

Punitive Damages

Punitive damages punish the wrongdoer and deter future parties from committing the same harm. Illinois courts typically only award punitive damages if the at-fault party’s conduct was reprehensible, intentional, or egregious. For this reason, an award of punitive damages is usually uncommon. An attorney can review your case to determine if the court is likely to award punitive damages in your situation.

A Lawyer Can Help You Maximize the Compensation You Receive

A personal injury lawyer provides valuable services to injured parties. Some of the services that a personal injury lawyer offers include:

• Serving and advocating for your best interests, not the insurance company or at-fault party’s bottom line.
• Negotiating with third parties on your behalf.
• Investigating the claim to uncover all possible avenues of recovery.
• Crafting a legal strategy to maximize the compensation you receive.
• Arguing the case on your behalf at trial.
• Conducting critical legal research to build the most robust case in your favor.

Personal injury lawyers work for you – not the insurance company or the at-fault party. Further, insurance companies are more likely to take your claim seriously if you have the assistance of experienced legal counsel.

An attorney can also help shield you against unscrupulous insurance companies’ practices to persuade injury victims to accept settlement offers far lower than the claim’s actual value.

If someone else’s conduct injured you or someone you love, call the ABC Law Firm at 123-456-7890 to schedule your free consultation.