If you have been injured because of someone else’s negligence, you may be facing medical bills, lost income, and uncertainty about the future. An Elmwood Park personal injury lawyer can help you file a claim and hold the at-fault party accountable.
Charlie Therman Injury & Accident Lawyers, P.C. has won over $100 million for our clients. If you were hurt in a preventable accident, a personal injury lawyer in Elmwood Park can help you pursue a fair settlement.
Why Hire an Elmwood Park Personal Injury Lawyer?
After an accident, insurance companies move quickly to investigate claims and limit their financial exposure. While insurance adjusters may seem helpful, their goal is to settle claims for as little money as possible. Handling a claim without legal guidance may result in accepting compensation that does not fully reflect your losses.
A personal injury attorney in Elmwood Park can step in and help by:
- Investigating the accident and identifying all responsible parties
- Collecting evidence such as photographs, medical records, and witness statements
- Calculating the value of your current and future damages
- Handling communications and settlement negotiations with insurance companies
- Filing a lawsuit if a fair settlement cannot be reached
- Representing you throughout litigation and at trial (if necessary)
Types of Personal Injury Cases We Handle
At Charlie Therman Injury & Accident Lawyers, P.C., we handle a wide range of personal injury matters. Our personal injury law firm can help if you need an:
- Elmwood Park Car Accident Lawyer: Car crashes can cause severe injuries and significant disruptions to your daily life. We can help you pursue compensation and protect your rights throughout the claims process.
- Elmwood Park Truck Accident Lawyer: Recovering compensation for a truck accident can be challenging. We can investigate your case and work to secure a fair settlement.
- Elmwood Park Dog Bite Lawyer: Dog bites can result in serious physical injuries and emotional trauma. We can explain your legal options and help you seek compensation for your losses.
- Elmwood Park Wrongful Death Lawyer: Losing a loved one can have devastating emotional and financial consequences. We can help you and your family recover compensation for your loss.
- Elmwood Park Workers’ Compensation Lawyer: If you have been hurt in the workplace, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. We can help you pursue a workplace injury claim and protect your rights throughout the legal process.
What Types of Damages Can You Recover?
You can pursue compensation for a variety of damages in a personal injury case, including:
- Medical expenses: You can seek compensation for emergency care, hospital stays, surgeries, medications, rehabilitation, and future medical treatment.
- Lost wages: You can recover income you would’ve earned while you were unable to work because of your injuries.
- Loss of earning capacity: You can pursue damages if your injuries reduce your ability to earn income in the future.
- Property damage: You can obtain reimbursement for damaged vehicles or other personal property.
- Pain and suffering: You can seek compensation for the physical pain and discomfort caused by your injuries.
- Emotional distress: You can recover damages related to anxiety, depression, and other types of psychological trauma.
- Loss of enjoyment of life: You can pursue additional compensation if your injuries prevent you from participating in activities you once enjoyed.
- Wrongful death damages: Eligible family members can recover compensation for losses resulting from the death of a loved one.
- Punitive damages: You can pursue punitive damages in cases involving especially reckless, intentional, or egregious misconduct from the other party.
How Long Do You Have to File a Personal Injury Claim in Illinois?
Personal injury claims in Illinois must be filed within a certain time frame, known as the statute of limitations. Under 735 ILCS 5/13-202, you typically have two years from the date of the accident to file a civil claim for a physical injury and five years from the date of the accident to file a civil claim for damage to property.
Our lawyers can help make sure you file on time.
How is Liability Determined?
Most personal injury claims are rooted in the legal doctrine of negligence. Negligence applies when someone fails to use reasonable care in their actions, resulting in injuries to another person. Reasonable care is defined as how a prudent or sensible person would act in the same or similar circumstances.
In order to establish negligence, you must prove four legal elements: duty of care, breach of duty, causation, and damages. Here’s how it breaks down:
- Duty of care: The defendant owed you a duty of care.
- Breach of duty: The defendant breached that duty.
- Causation: The defendant’s breach was a direct cause of your injury.
- Damages: You suffered monetary losses.
How Long Does a Personal Injury Case Take?
There is no universal timeline for personal injury claims. Some cases settle within a few months, while others take a year or longer.
Factors that will affect your case’s timeline include:
- The severity of your injuries
- The length of your medical treatment
- Whether liability is disputed
- The amount of available evidence
- Whether insurance companies are willing to negotiate
- Court scheduling (if the case goes to trial)
Common Causes of Personal Injuries
Serious injuries can occur in all kinds of situations. Some of the most common causes include:
- Distracted driving
- Drunk driving
- Speeding
- Reckless driving
- Failure to yield
- Unsafe property conditions
- Wet or slippery floors
- Construction accidents
- Workplace hazards
- Dog attacks
- Inadequate security
Common Injuries in Personal Injury Cases
Common injuries associated with personal injury claims include:
- Whiplash
- Back injuries
- Neck injuries
- Broken bones
- Soft tissue injuries
- Burns
- Lacerations
- Organ damage
- Spinal cord injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Amputations
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
Steps to Take After an Injury in Elmwood Park
The actions you take after getting hurt in a car accident, pedestrian accident, bicycle accident, motorcycle accident, slip and fall accident, or other incident can affect the strength of your legal claim.
You can start building a strong insurance claim by:
- Reporting the accident to the police, the property owner or manager, or your employer (depending on where it occurred).
- Taking photographs of the accident scene
- Obtaining witnesses’ contact information
- Getting medical help as soon as possible
- Keeping records of your medical expenses and other losses
- Not discussing fault or speculating about the incident with insurance companies, police, or anyone at the scene
- Getting legal representation before you accept a settlement offer
Consult a Personal Injury Attorney in Elmwood Park
If someone else’s negligence has caused you harm, you have legal recourse. An experienced Elmwood Park personal injury attorney from Charlie Therman Injury & Accident Lawyers, P.C. can investigate the incident, negotiate with insurers, and fight for the compensation you are entitled to.
Book a free consultation to learn more about your legal options.
