An injury is more than just painful. It might come with all sorts of costs you cannot afford and get in the way of other important parts of your life. If someone else is to blame for your injuries, you should not have to bear the burden of your injuries alone. The responsible person should have to pay for your costs and damages.
To begin your case, speak to a lawyer about your injuries, damages, and how to find evidence to support your claims. Your lawyer can help you draft and file important paperwork and documents so your case can move forward. Personal injury law spans a broad spectrum of accidents and injuries, and you should work with a lawyer who knows how to handle your specific claim. Our team has experience with various claims, and we are ready to help you get your case started. The sooner we begin, the sooner you can get fair compensation for your damages.
Call the Rhatigan Law Offices at (312) 578-8502 and ask our Chicago personal injury lawyers for an initial assessment of your case at no cost to you.
How to Begin a Personal Injury Case in Normal, IL
You have probably heard someone say, “I’ll see you in court,” but they rarely explain how they plan to get there. Getting a personal injury case into a courtroom before a judge is difficult and takes a lot of time, effort, and preparation. Your first step toward beginning a personal injury case is to speak to our personal injury attorneys about your case. If you have a valid cause of action, we can begin the real work.
Our team can assist you with assessing damages and collecting evidence. Your damages may include various losses, injuries, and costs from the accident. Some cases involve only a few damages, but they are very substantial, and others are built on many smaller costs that add up to a significant sum. To prove damages, we need evidence. Where we find evidence may vary, and your lawyer should have an idea of where to look.
Once we have all the information we need to get started, we must draft a formal complaint. The complaint is a legal document that must be written and formatted according to court rules, which your attorney can help you understand. The complaint must contain all the details of your accident, injuries, damages, and why we believe the defendant is responsible. It should also include enough evidence to show that you have a valid cause of action. However, we do not necessarily need to include all our evidence in the complaint.
Once the complaint is ready, it must be filed with the correct court. If mistakenly filed in the wrong court, it might be rejected for lack of jurisdiction. After filing the complaint, we must make sure the defendant is served with proper notice of the case so they can file an answer. The entire case might be thrown out if proper notice is not served.
Some Examples of Personal Injury Cases Our Team Has Handled in Normal, IL
The world of personal injury law is vast, and all sorts of accidents and injuries might be involved. The nature of your injuries and accidents may determine what laws affect your claim and how we should handle the case. Below are just a few of the cases our office has worked with.
Construction Accidents
Many people are injured on construction sites. Many of these injured victims are construction workers, but sometimes passersby or people who mistakenly wander into a construction zone are badly hurt. Injuries might stem from faulty equipment, like machinery or power tools. Other accidents result from dangerous conditions. Maybe a ladder or some scaffolding was unstable, and a worker fell. They can sue for their injuries, which might be quite serious.
Injuries at Work
Sometimes, people are hurt in places where they expect to be safe. Injuries in the workplace are not uncommon, and employees are often badly injured. An accident might be rather mundane, such as a fall down some rickety stairs in your office or being hit on the head by a bit of falling ceiling tiles. Other accidents might be more severe. Maybe there was a kitchen fire in the breakroom, and you were burned. Maybe you were in an elevator when it malfunctioned and fell. If you were injured on the job, contact an attorney immediately, as your employer might already be taking steps to legally protect themselves.
Train Accidents
Accidents sometimes happen when we least want them to, like when traveling. Traveling can be a hectic and frustrating experience, and an accident or injury may only make things worse. People often travel from Normal, IL to Chicago and its surrounding suburbs. Amtrak runs trains between these locations, and there are many other train services once you get into Chicago. Talk to an attorney if you are injured in a train accident or hurt while riding a train or on a platform.
Collecting Evidence for a Personal Injury Case in Normal, IL
Evidence is one of the trickiest parts of a personal injury lawsuit because it is so unpredictable. In some cases, evidence is ample and ready for the taking. In others, it is extremely hard to find and not always admissible in court. Remember, if evidence is hard to come by in your case, this does not mean your claims are invalid. Our team might still be able to build a strong case on just a few solid pieces of evidence.
A great way to begin collecting evidence is immediately after the accident. Many injured victims take pictures and record videos of the accident scene. These recordings might contain important details we need to back up your claims. Additionally, you should exchange information with others at the scene. If any of them have valuable details, they may testify as eyewitnesses.
It is not uncommon for defendants to dispute the severity of the plaintiff’s injuries. A great way to combat this is to use your medical records as evidence of your injuries. Collecting all the necessary records can be challenging, and our team can help you contact hospitals and doctors to begin collecting records.
Reach Out to Our Normal, IL Personal Injury Attorneys for Support
Call the Rhatigan Law Offices at (312) 578-8502 and ask our personal injury lawyers for an initial assessment of your case at no cost to you.
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