Our Rockford personal injury lawyers can help recover damages for those who have been injured because of another party’s negligence. The types of injuries that personal injury victims suffer may vary. Accordingly, there are multiple types of personal injury cases that injured plaintiffs can file.
Unfortunately, personal injury lawsuits can take a long time to complete. Insurance companies will hire teams to undercut your claims and try to have your case shut down. Our Rockford personal injury lawyers will fight the insurance companies while helping our clients on their road to compensation.
Our personal injury lawyers at Rhatigan Law Offices can provide you with a free case review when you call us today at (312) 578-8502.
Common Personal Injury Cases That Our Attorneys Handle in Rockford, IL
If you happen to experience accidents in Rockford, you might sustain injuries of different kinds. However, our personal injury lawyers are committed to helping you get the compensation you deserve. Whether you are pursuing a personal injury claim for any type of injury, we have a successful record of representing numerous clients in Rockford. Some of the types of personal injury cases we have handled include:
Car Accident Cases
Our focus is on personal injury cases related to car accidents that occur in Rockford. These cases might involve collisions caused by distracted driving, rear-end collisions, or left-turn accidents. Depending on the severity of the accident, individuals involved might suffer minor injuries or even fatalities. To obtain compensation, identifying and taking legal action against the driver responsible for the accident is crucial. In some instances, multiple drivers might be at fault for the injuries sustained, and each might be held accountable through legal proceedings.
Rideshare Accident Cases
The popularity of ride-sharing services such as Uber and Lyft has surged in recent years. However, these services have also resulted in an uptick in accidents. Obtaining compensation in the event of an accident can be a challenge since Uber and Lyft drivers are categorized as independent contractors rather than employees. This categorization grants them the freedom to work at their discretion, but it also means that the companies are not liable for accidents caused by their drivers while using the app. Nonetheless, insurance coverage typically provides substantial financial assistance to aid both drivers and passengers who have incurred injuries and damages.
Motorcycle Accident Cases
Motorcycle accidents in Rockford are known to cause serious and life-altering injuries, even with a helmet on. These accidents carry an increased risk of head trauma and spinal cord damage, particularly if another driver is at fault. As a victim of a motorcycle accident, you might be concerned about receiving compensation if you were partially responsible. Nonetheless, it is still possible to seek compensation for damages, even if you share some responsibility. In such instances, the amount of compensation you receive will be decreased by the percentage of fault attributed to you.
Bicycle Accident Cases
The number of bicycle accidents is increasing due to the rising popularity of cycling as a mode of transportation. These accidents can lead to severe personal injuries, and there is a possibility that some drivers might flee the scene after hitting a cyclist. Our team is here to assist you in such situations. We can conduct a thorough investigation of your case and work together with local law enforcement to locate and hold accountable the hit-and-run driver who caused your injury.
Medical Malpractice Cases
The repercussions of medical malpractice can be severe, ranging from permanent disability to death. It is not uncommon for a person to be unaware of their injury until years later. Our firm is here to assist you in collecting evidence and pursuing compensation for your injuries. Even if you discover your injuries at a later time, you might still be able to file a personal injury lawsuit, but there are certain time frames to consider in most cases.
Premises Liability Cases
Lawsuits regarding premises liability are centered around injuries that occur on property owned by someone else due to negligence or lack of reasonable care from the property manager or owner. These types of cases often involve injuries caused by slip and falls or dog bites that happen on property not owned by the victim. If you have suffered an injury due to hazardous conditions on someone else’s property, it is possible that multiple parties might be held responsible for your injuries, depending on where the incident took place.
Elements of a Personal Injury Case in Rockford, IL
Personal injury cases in Rockford may come in many forms. However, there are four basic elements that must be established for any case based on negligence to succeed:
- The defendant owed the plaintiff a duty of care.
- The defendant failed to meet that duty.
- This failure caused the plaintiff’s injuries.
- The plaintiff suffered damages because of the injuries.
Each of these elements may seem simple on the surface, but proving them can be complicated. Our Rockford personal injury lawyers can help plaintiffs navigate the rules and prove the elements required to win their cases.
Types of Evidence Used to Prove a Personal Injury Lawsuit in Rockford, IL
Collecting evidence is crucial in personal injury claims as it helps in establishing fault and determining damages. However, obtaining evidence can be challenging. Our aim is to aid you in gathering the required evidence to support your claim in Rockford. We can help you obtain the following types of evidence in Rockford:
Medical Records
To receive compensation for injuries sustained in an accident, it is essential to have proper medical records. These records can help establish the extent of harm caused by the accident. It is not recommended to wait for injuries to heal on their own. Instead, individuals who have suffered a personal injury should seek medical attention as soon as possible after the accident. Additionally, medical bills can be used to determine damages related to injuries, and victims might be eligible for compensation for all medical expenses resulting from the accident.
Photographs and Videos
If you have experienced an accident and are pursuing a personal injury claim, photographic evidence can be crucial in proving fault and damages. For instance, if you fell in a poorly lit hallway, photos of the area can help demonstrate that the property owner or manager was responsible. Similarly, pictures of weather and road conditions can be used to demonstrate what led to a car accident.
It is crucial for victims to try to take photos and videos of the accident scene if possible. Additionally, photographic evidence can be used to establish damages in a personal injury case. Defendants in auto accident cases might argue that specific property damage occurred after the collision, but photos of the vehicle taken at the scene can disprove this. Our experienced team can help determine if photographic and video evidence would be beneficial in your case.
Witness Statements
In Rockford, it can be beneficial to obtain statements from witnesses when dealing with a personal injury case. These individuals might have important information to share about what occurred before, during, or after an incident. For example, a witness might be able to verify that a driver who caused a car accident ran a red light. Therefore, it is crucial to gather contact information from any witnesses who can provide support for your case if you have been injured.
Additionally, expert witnesses are also valuable in determining fault in a personal injury case. These individuals have extensive education, training, and experience in a specific area and can explain complex topics in simpler terms. By using their specialized knowledge, expert witnesses can offer valuable evidence to support your case.
What to Expect in a Rockford, IL Personal Injury Lawsuit
The lawsuit process can be intimidating. Personal injury victims in Rockford have legal remedies available to them. However, most potential plaintiffs do not know what to expect from the lawsuit process. Our Rockford personal injury lawyers can offer a further explanation on any of the following steps in a Rockford personal injury lawsuit.
Initial Free Consultation
Victims of personal injuries may wonder whether they have a valid claim to bring to court. It can be complicated to determine whether certain actions constituted negligence. Accordingly, our Rockford personal injury lawyers will meet with victims to review the validity of their case for free. In an initial case review, our lawyers will determine whether your case has a chance to succeed. This determination will be based on the following evidence:
- Any medical records documenting your injuries
- Photos documenting the accident scene
- Your insurance policy
- Bills documenting expenses stemming from the accident
- Any communications with other parties to the accident
However, it is okay if a victim cannot produce any of these documents at an initial review. Our Rockford personal injury lawyers may be able to listen to your story about what happened and help you to gather additional evidence later in the process.
Gathering Evidence
The next step in the personal injury lawsuit process is to gather evidence to support your claims. The following are some examples of evidence that might be collected during this process:
- Witness testimony
- Police reports
- Economists’ calculations
- Medical records
- Video or audio recordings of incidents at issue
Talk to a Rockford personal injury lawyer about what additional evidence might be necessary in your case.
Filing
Potential plaintiffs will have to formally file complaints in the appropriate court. Furthermore, plaintiffs are also required to serve defendants with copies of the complaint. Our Rockford personal injury lawyers can help you draft properly formatted complaints, file them in the correct court, and serve defendants properly.
Time limits for filing lawsuits are governed by states’ statutes of limitations. In Illinois, victims have two years from the date of their injuries to file their personal injury claims. Waiting to file a claim can cause you to miss your opportunity to recover damages. Furthermore, the different time limits for filing a lawsuit may exist under special circumstances.
Proving Fault
A crucial step in the personal injury lawsuit process will be proving fault. Plaintiffs in Rockford must prove that their injuries were suffered because of a defendant’s negligent conduct. Our Rockford personal injury lawyers can establish that the defendant was at fault for your injuries.
Furthermore, Illinois personal injury cases follow a modified comparative negligence doctrine. Comparative negligence means that responsibility for damages will be allocated based on a percentage of fault in causing the accident. For example, a defendant who is deemed to be 70% at-fault for an accident will be ordered to pay 70% of the damages caused by the accident while the other 30% will be paid by the other responsible parties. Plaintiffs who are considered more than 50% at fault for an accident may not recover compensation from the defendants.
Negotiating with Insurance Companies
Insurance companies can utilize the massive resources at their disposal to try to dispute personal injury claims. They will hire their own legal representation along with doctors and private investigators who will seek to disprove the victim’s claims about their injuries and their value.
Our Rockford personal injury lawyers can negotiate with insurance companies on your behalf to stop them from being able to take advantage of you. Further, our lawyers can accurately determine the value of a case and will fight to recover full and fair compensation for our clients.
Trial
If a settlement agreement is not reached, personal injury lawsuits will often go to trial. There are many risks that accompany the decision to go to trial. Our Rockford personal injury lawyers can help plaintiffs determine whether going to trial is the right decision for their case.
If You Were Injured in Rockford, IL, Our Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help
For a free initial case assessment with our personal injury attorneys, call Rhatigan Law Offices at (312) 578-8502.
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