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Illinois roads can be dangerous. According to the Illinois Department of Transportation, there were 957 deaths in 887 auto accidents in 2012, an increase over 2011. Of the 887 fatal accidents, 130 happened in Chicago, reflecting a 19 percent increase over 2011. For all of Cook County, there were 243 fatal car crashes, more than 27 percent of the state’s total. According to the IDOT’s 2019 crash data, the city with the highest number of crashes that year was Chicago, with a total of 135,813 crashes. Rockford, with 5,317 crashes, followed this, and Aurora, with 4,506 crashes.
It is important to note that the number of crashes in a city is not necessarily an indicator of the likelihood of being involved in a car accident. Other factors, such as population density and traffic volume in a city, can also affect the risk of accidents. Additionally, it is essential to remember that accidents can happen anywhere. Therefore, taking precautions such as driving defensively, obeying traffic laws, and avoiding distracted driving can help reduce the risk of being involved in an accident.
Laws are in place to protect the rights of injured victims and the families of those who lost a loved one in an auto accident. As Chicago car accident lawyers, we strive to protect your rights.
With a team of experts, including safety engineers, accident reconstructionists, and forensics specialists, we conduct thorough research into the facts of your automobile accident.
A comprehensive assessment of the facts surrounding an accident often includes an examination of the following:
Many different factors and circumstances can lead to a car accident. However, here are some of the most common reasons why car accidents happen, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC):
Civil lawsuits can quickly become situations where both parties worry about costs. These costs include property damage, medical expenses, and office visits. This is a particularly pressing problem for the plaintiff, as the response could impact the plaintiff’s compensation due to civil litigation. There is no set amount that a lawyer can typically charge for a car accident. However, it is common for personal injury lawyers to work on a contingency fee basis.
You won’t have to pay anything in advance when you engage with a professional personal injury lawyer. Lawyers specializing in personal injury cases are paid on a contingency fee basis. This means that the lawyer will not get paid by the client until they recover money in the case. Contingency fees can be very beneficial because they help ensure the lawyer has your (as the client’s) best interests in mind. Read more
Remember that you only have a limited time to file a personal injury case if you hire a car accident lawyer for a minor accident. Every state has a deadline for filing a lawsuit, known as a statute of limitations. If you miss the deadline, you may be unable to claim compensation for your losses and injuries.
When it comes to automobile accident attorneys, consider them as your advocates throughout the process. As soon as the mishap occurs, you can begin the recovery process. When a lawyer works on your behalf, they can collect evidence about the accident by speaking to witnesses and calling police agencies to get a crash report.
In reality, dealing with insurance companies is a significant advantage of hiring a car accident lawyer. Even if you wait days or weeks to contact a lawyer after the accident, the assistance you receive may be substantial. A lawyer aids clients in compiling the medical information and expenses required to build a complete requisition package.
With a lawyer’s assistance, you can ensure that your insurance claim case proceeds smoothly. Simply put, a lawyer can handle all of the legal aspects of your accident while you concentrate on getting better and returning to your everyday life. Read More
If an uninsured motorist injures you in Illinois, even if you pursue and win a civil personal injury lawsuit, you’ll receive nothing if that driver has no money. However, that does not mean you have no legal recourse if a negligent, uninsured driver injures you. Even if the driver who injured you is uninsured and genuinely penniless, an excellent personal injury lawyer can often find another pathway for you to obtain compensation.
Chiropractors represent less than five percent of the entire healthcare industry in the United States. Yet, they treat more personal injury patients than any other specialist. “chiropractic” comes originally from Greek and means “done by hand.” As Chicago car accident lawyers, we know that chiropractic care is designed to heal musculoskeletal injuries and is based on the premise that when the skeletal system is aligned correctly and the nervous system functions properly, the human body is self-healing.
Traffic accident victims frequently sustain the cervical/neck strain known as whiplash. Whiplash injuries happen mainly, but not only in rear-end collisions, and they occur in low-speed and high-speed collisions. For example, when someone’s head is violently snapped forward and instantly thrown backward, that person will likely sustain a whiplash injury.
Specifically, whiplash happens when neck muscles and tendons are stretched by forces beyond their natural range of motion. This can occur in traffic collisions when the head is shoved forward and tossed immediately backward. Along with sprains and strains of the neck, the shoving or yanking force may sometimes result in severely misaligned cervical vertebrae. Therefore, seeking medical attention must always be your priority after any traffic accident – because some injuries can’t be seen.
Whiplash may cause severe headaches and migraines, a stiff back and neck, shoulder pain, light and sound sensitivity, nausea and dizziness, and pain and stiffness radiating from the neck to the arms and shoulders. A person who suspects whiplash should have an examination as quickly as possible because it does not fade away. Whiplash symptoms typically get worse with time, and without timely treatment, whiplash can permanently restrict the motion of the neck. Some accident victims recover quickly from whiplash, but the suffering is long-term for others.
Accident victims shouldn’t wait. In Chicago, traffic accident victims should seek medical attention immediately after an accident. Victims should consult with an experienced Chicago personal injury attorney if negligence were responsible for the accident. Some injuries may not appear until days or even several weeks after an accident, but the sooner treatment begins, the better.
Chiropractors heal traffic accident injuries – or, more precisely, help the body heal itself – by correcting misalignments in the vertebrae, reducing swelling and inflammation, and enhancing circulation by using manual adjustments, spinal decompression, acupuncture, and physical therapy. Most chiropractors will also make dietary supplement recommendations.
After a car accident, an injury victim may be able to sue one or more parties who may be responsible for the accident and their injuries. These parties may include:
It’s important to note that determining liability after a car accident can be complicated and may require the assistance of a skilled attorney. An experienced personal injury attorney can investigate the accident, gather evidence, and identify all potentially liable parties to pursue maximum compensation for the injured victim. Read More
After investigating the case and reviewing the details, a personal injury lawyer will determine the answers to the questions listed below. The answers to these questions will determine your next legal move:
What was the cause of the traffic accident? Were your injuries caused directly by the collision and another driver’s negligence? Do you have pre-existing injuries? Will the medical tests and records support your claim?
Which party is liable? In some traffic accidents in Illinois, the motorists will both be partially liable.
What coverage is applicable? An experienced accident attorney will search through each insurance policy that may apply and identify all possible compensation sources.
What sources of compensation might be available to the injured victim of a negligent driver – that is, what sources other than that negligent driver’s own auto insurance policy? The answer is, “It depends.”
Before you ride – or ride again – with a service like Uber or Lyft, what should a Chicago-area consumer know? What if you are a passenger, you’re involved in a crash, and you are severely injured? You’ll need to speak immediately with a Chicago car accident attorney.
Both companies provide a variety of amenities and conveniences to consumers. Rideshare rides typically cost less than taxi rides. Nevertheless, consumers need to know about insurance and liability issues that can emerge when an Uber or Lyft vehicle is involved in a collision.
Suppose a Lyft or Uber driver is negligent on the job and responsible for a car accident that causes injuries in most cases. In that case, Lyft or Uber will have liability for the accident. The key factor is that the driver must be on duty for liability to transfer to the rideshare company.
An Illinois personal injury lawyer can take legal action if a Lyft or Uber driver injures you. However, if the driver was not working or on duty when the crash occurred, your claim will be no different from an injury claim from a typical traffic accident.
However, suppose an Uber or Lyft driver carries a passenger when a crash happens. In that case, the driver, the passenger or passengers, and anyone else injured will be covered by a million-dollar liability insurance policy and a million dollars of uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage.
Politicians and public health authorities in the United States often point proudly to reductions in traffic fatalities due to seat belts, airbags, and heightened enforcement of DUI laws. From the years 2000 through 2013, traffic fatalities in the United States dropped by 31 percent. Still, the National Safety Council estimates that more than 32,000 people were killed and more than two million were injured on U.S. streets and highways in 2013. Can we do better?
Yes, we can, and a number of other nations already are. According to a study released this summer by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), our nation had the highest rate of traffic fatalities in 2013 per 100,000 people when compared against nineteen other developed nations. Traffic fatalities continue in the United States because of intoxicated driving, speeding, and the failure to use seat belts and booster seats. In 2013, about half of the people who perished in traffic in the U.S. were not wearing seat belts at the time of the crash.
Erin Sauber-Schatz, one of the authors of the CDC report, added that distracted driving is a factor in at least ten percent of all fatal accidents and eighteen percent of accidents with non-fatal injuries. Anyone injured by a driver who is drunk, texting, talking on the phone, or otherwise impaired or distracted has the legal right to full compensation for medical treatment, lost Chicago personal injury attorney wages, and all other injury-related damages. In the Chicago area, an experienced can provide more details if you’ve been injured in a traffic collision. Read More
This is a question that you’re likely to ask yourself when you’ve been rear-ended. Even if it seems like a minor accident, you shouldn’t leave anything to chance. You should immediately look for a Chicago car accident lawyer just to be safe. What initially seems like a minor fender bender could lead to a full-blown trial.
According to statistics, there were over six million police-reported motor vehicle accidents in 2015. This number has surely gone up over the last couple of years. There are a couple of reasons why you could have been rear-ended. It could’ve been a careless driver who was not mindful of the rules of the road. There are occasions where both parties might be at fault. Either way, it’s best to contact an attorney.
It should be noted that any auto accident has the potential to cause fatal injuries. For rear-end accidents, the majority of victims will suffer from soft-tissue injuries.
There are certain locations that tend to be more dangerous and risky for drivers. According to the NHTSA’s Report to Congress:
Auto accident fatalities vary dramatically from state to state, according to figures from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. These figures are generally not calculated in percentages, but rather, by the number of accidents per 100,000 people.
To illustrate the degree of variance by state, in 2015, the District of Columbia saw a fatality rate of 3.4 people per 100,000, while Wyoming saw a fatality rate of 24.7 per 100,000 people. In 2015 — the most recent figures available — the U.S. saw 32,166 fatal car crashes, resulting in 35,092 deaths.
Estimates vary, but on average, it’s believed that approximately 5% of car accident cases go to trial.
A fairly large portion of cases are settled before a personal injury lawsuit is even filed. Of the cases that do result in a lawsuit, about half of those cases are settled before going to trial.
It is possible to settle a car accident without insurance. Some drivers have coverage that protects them from losses in a crash involving an uninsured driver. In other cases, a lawsuit may be filed and the uninsured driver could be held personally liable for damages. This type of case may be settled pre-trial or at trial.
Excellent legal services from caring and compassionate attorneys. Could not ask for better legal representation! Will forever be grateful to the legal team at Phillips Law Offices for getting my family through such a difficult moment in our lives.
To get you full and fair compensation, your attorney must prove the other driver was negligent. We prepare your case with the intent to show:
By Illinois state law, you usually have two years from the date of the injury to file a claim. Bear in mind that multiple parties may be negligent, such as a municipality for road defects or a car manufacturer for faulty design or manufacturing.
You must notify your own insurance company when you have been involved in an auto accident. An adjuster will be assigned to your claim and will send you paperwork for its own investigation of the auto accident, such as:
When our car accident attorneys file an automobile accident claim on your behalf with the court, we apply our experience and the trusted opinions of your medical professionals to place a value on your damages. We know the games insurance companies play at your expense. These include
Crashes caused by speeding account for almost 30 percent of all car crashes in Illinois. Exceeding the posted speed limit, running red lights, and other speeding and reckless or careless driving behaviors cause aggressive drivers put themselves and others in danger. They may also weave between the lanes without signaling.
The probability of sustaining serious injuries is three times higher in speed-related crashes than in non-speed related crashes. Speeding contributes to the impact of a car crash, because it:
Reduces the amount of time to make fast decisions
Increases difficulty in maneuvering the car
Decreases the time and ability to stop safely
If a driver exceeds the speed limit and collides with another vehicle, that driver could be given a summons for a criminal offense.
Chicago’s personal injury victims can pursue many types of injury cases in the courts. Most damages that can be recovered in a personal injury case are referred to as compensatory damages. These are designed to compensate the victim for injuries suffered and include the following:
Unlike compensatory damages, punitive damages are designed to punish the person who committed a harmful or malicious act and deter future improper conduct. Punitive damages are less likely than compensatory damages to be awarded in a personal injury case, but courts do award them under some circumstances.
We review offers and give you straightforward advice about whether to accept them. The goal of our auto accident attorneys is always to maximize your compensation so you receive a fair settlement.
If an offer falls short of that, we recommend refusal of the offer. We are always prepared to take your case to court. We are always prepared to fight for what’s right.
Settlement or verdict, we advocate for full and fair compensation to cover lost income, present and future medical expenses, property loss, pain, suffering, disability, and disfigurement. Accident cases represent one of our top practice areas at Phillips Law Offices.
If you or a loved one have been injured in an automobile accident, trust your case to an experienced personal injury lawyer who can give you the legal help you deserve. Contact one of the Midwest’s top law firms! Reach out to our experienced Chicago car accident lawyers to arrange a free consultation. Call us at (312) 346-4262 or email us today.
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