Illinois Personal Injury Lawyers: Car accidents
by Michael Helfand
(Illinois)
Car accidents can be frightening and shocking, especially if you are injured in any way. If you have been injured as the result of a car accident, motorcycle accident, truck accident or similar road accident, you might want to consider consulting a personal injury attorney.
First, however, you should focus on your health. See a doctor and do what he or she tells you. Get a second opinion. Know your body. Make your health your top priority.
Next, while you are following doctor’s orders, gather any and all documents and information related to the accident. Make copies of all medical information, insurance information, police reports and other documents.
Also, keep a journal. Lawsuits can take many months, even years, before they settle or go to trial. It may be months or years before you are required to answer questions about the accident and your memory may get fuzzy. It is important to keep a journal of what happened before, during and after the accident.
Write down the facts as you remember them, including conversations with police. Also write you’re your personal health information, such as things you were able to do before the accident that you are now having trouble with.
Whether you are filing a lawsuit against the driver of the vehicle you were in or the driver of another vehicle involved in the accident, note that you will primarily be dealing with the driver’s insurance company.
While the insurance company representatives may seem friendly and responsive, even helpful, they are not on your side. Their goal is to pay out as little as possible. That is why it is essential that you hire an experienced personal injury attorney who specializes in car accidents.
An experienced personal injury attorney who specializes in car accidents will have the knowledge and expertise required to negotiate with insurance companies. They will understand your injuries and what kind of compensation you should receive, such as lost wages, medical expenses, pain and suffering, etc.
They will know what kind of experts to call in to analyze your situation. They will know whether you are being offered a reasonable settlement.
If the other party does not have insurance, you may still be able to obtain compensation from your or your spouse’s or your employer’s insurance company via an uninsured motorist or underinsured motorist provision.
Of course, what you get depends on the terms of the policy. Again, a good personal injury attorney will be able to assist you in obtaining compensation from these other means.
If you are concerned about the cost of an attorney, note that personal injury attorneys work on a contingency basis, meaning that they take a percentage of what you recover – whether it is a jury award or a settlement.
However, if you recover nothing, you owe your attorney nothing. Personal injury lawyers view this as a standard business risk that comes with practicing this type of law.
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Michael Helfand has been an Illinois attorney since 1997 and is founder of FindGreatLawyers.com, the leading resource for Illinois lawyer referrals and legal guidance.
