The phrase “personal injury” has earned an unfair reputation for involving frivolous or made-up claims, but this could not be further from the truth. Personal injuries can be severe, even deadly. An attorney can help you get fair compensation from the responsible defendant.
You should speak to an attorney about possibly filing a personal injury lawsuit if someone else’s negligent behavior caused you physical harm. Personal injury lawsuits can be painful and expensive, and you deserve fair compensation. You can claim various damages related to your injuries, including economic, non-economic, and punitive damages. We need as much evidence as possible to support your damages claims. Evidence might include a vast array of physical objects, testimony of witnesses, and records of your injuries, among other things. Our attorneys can help you prepare your case and submit a formal complaint to the courts.
Give our personal injury lawyers at the Rhatigan Law Offices a call at (312) 578-8502 to schedule a free review of your case in person or remotely.
When You Should Speak to an Oak Lawn, IL Personal Injury Lawyer
The phrase “personal injury” is tossed around in many discussions regarding plaintiffs taking legal action. Although the field of personal injury law is broad, it does not encompass all cases, and many plaintiffs believe they have personal injury claims when they have an entirely different claim. You should speak to an attorney about a personal injury claim if you experienced physical harm because of the actions of another.
The physical harm component is an important factor in personal injury cases. While numerous other injuries may be included in personal injury claims (e.g., property damage), a personal injury claim must involve some bodily harm.
You should speak to an attorney as soon as possible to file your case before the statute of limitation expires. In Illinois, the statute of limitations for personal injury cases is only 2 years, according to 735 I.L.C.S. § 5/13-202. Under this law, you only have 2 years from the date your injuries occurred to file a lawsuit. If the date passes and no case has been filed, you risk losing your right to sue and get compensation.
Practice Areas Our Personal Injury Lawyers Commonly Handle in Oak Lawn, IL
The benefit of having decades of experience representing clients in personal injury lawsuits is that our team can help you with a variety of legal issues. Whether you were injured in a car accident, on a train, or by your doctor, our personal injury attorneys know how to identify each negligent party and gather the evidence to prove their liability. In short, no case is too complex. The following are some of the practice areas we cover in Oak Lawn:
Vehicle Accidents
Vehicle accidents are probably the most common reason lawsuits are filed. As a suburb just outside of Chicago, Oak Lawn sees its fair share of traffic. The growing number of Uber, Lyft, and Amazon delivery trucks operating in the area further congests traffic.
This can make car accident claims more complex than people realize. In some cases, we might only need to file your lawsuit against a single driver. If the accident involved a commercial driver, we might be able to name their employer as a defendant, as well. In cases of multi-vehicle accidents, our team usually sues each driver for their share of fault.
Bicycle Accidents
Our team is also skilled at proving liability after bicycle accidents. These cases can be difficult since it is often the cyclist’s word versus the driver’s. Many negligent drivers try to put the blame on the rider to get out of paying compensation. While bicyclists do need to follow the rules of the road, contributing to your injuries will not automatically prevent you from recovering damages for your injuries.
Pedestrian Accidents
Oak Lawn has many walkable areas, making pedestrian accidents common. Drivers should yield to pedestrians at intersections and crosswalks. If you were injured while crossing the street, our lawyers can investigate the scene to determine if any traffic or surveillance cameras might have captured the accident. Even if you were injured while crossing the road somewhere other than a designated crosswalk, we can help you pursue compensation.
Train Accidents
Train accident claims are some of the most complex our team handles. Many residents of Oak Lawn use trains operated by the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) every day. With countless commuters each day, accidents on the train are common.
In some cases, you might have been injured in the station or on the platform. For instance, you could slip and fall on a freshly mopped platform that did not have signs.
Other times, you might be injured on the train by the conductor’s actions. They might have been operating the train at an excessive speed or come to an abrupt stop at the station. Or, you might have been injured because the track itself was defective.
Our team understands the additional rules that are involved with suing a state agency like the CTA. While government agencies can be held liable for accidents, you will usually have only a short amount of time to file a claim, so it is important to start your claim immediately if you were injured on a train.
Aviation Accidents
Our firm also prides itself on being one of the few that can help victims and their families recover compensation after an aviation accident. While air travel is relatively much safer than other modes of transportation, errors still happen, for which someone should be accountable.
For example, many aviation accidents are the result of pilot error. You could be injured on a poor takeoff or on a negligent reentry. In other cases, the pilot might not have adjusted their flying or route to account for dangerous weather conditions.
Many other aviation accidents happen because of mechanical failure in a part of an aircraft system. In these cases, we might need to sue the aviation mechanic, the manufacturer of the part, or the designer of the plane.
We will also investigate air traffic control to determine if they made a mistake that contributed to your crash. Pilots can only control the aircraft they are flying. They have little control over the overall system controlling air traffic. If an air traffic controller negligently clears an aircraft for takeoff or directs it to the wrong runway, they can be sued for their part in the accident.
Workplace Accidents
Workplace accidents are common, but recovering compensation can be challenging. In most cases, our team will help you file a claim for Workers’ Compensation, which can get you coverage for your losses quickly since you will not need to prove fault before doing so. Even if the accident was your mistake, we can help you get compensation.
We can also determine if you can step outside of the Workers’ Compensation system and file a lawsuit against your employer. In most cases, your employer is shielded from liability under Workers’ Compensation. However, if your employer intentionally caused your injuries, such as ignoring safety protocols or exposing you to toxic materials, they can usually be sued for additional compensation not granted by Workers’ Compensation insurance.
Medical Malpractice
Medical malpractice claims are often the most challenging cases our team litigates. Without the help of legal counsel, it is often hard for medical malpractice victims to determine how they were victims of negligence. Fortunately, our team knows what evidence can help prove these cases.
Sometimes, the malpractice occurs at the start of the examination process, such as when a doctor fails to diagnose a condition they should have caught. In other cases, your doctor might have misdiagnosed the condition and provided you with unnecessary treatment. This ends up not only costing you more money but also critical time to treat your condition.
Our lawyers will help you file a claim against any healthcare provider who contributed to your injuries. In most cases, we will consult with other medical professionals to determine the extent of your malpractice.
Damages You Can Claim in Personal Injury Cases in Oak Lawn, IL
Your damages reflect the injuries and losses you incurred as a direct result of your personal injuries. Numerous damages might be available, depending on your case, and they can be worth quite a lot of money. Assessing your damages accurately is key to getting the full and fair value of your compensation.
Economic Damages
Economic damages are monetary losses and expenses. In personal injury claims, medical treatment is arguably the biggest source of economic damages. Whether or not your injuries were severe, you should have gotten to a hospital as quickly as possible. For many, medical treatment is extensive, painful, and costly. Even if your injuries were not severe or your treatment was relatively short, medical care is notoriously expensive, and your bills might still be high.
You can also claim other monetary losses related to your injuries. If you were so badly hurt that you could not go back to work, you can claim the value of lost income as part of your damages. You can also claim the costs to repair or replace property that was damaged when you were injured. This is common in car accident cases where injured plaintiffs might have damaged or destroyed vehicles to pay for.
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages encompass painful experiences and often do not come with a price tag. You have likely heard people talk about claiming pain and suffering in a lawsuit. While people sometimes scoff at the idea of getting compensation for being in pain, the truth is that you should be compensated for enduring pain caused by someone else’s wrongful actions or negligence.
Non-economic damages involve more than just pain. You can claim emotional trauma, humiliation, and even damage to your reputation if it applies to your case. Talk to your attorney about how your injuries affected your life and overall well-being. There is a good chance you have non-economic damages available that you had not considered.
Punitive Damages
Punitive damages are awarded to punish defendants for especially shocking or outrageous behavior rather than to compensate plaintiffs for any specific losses. To be awarded punitive damages, you must show by clear and convincing evidence that the defendant acted with an evil motive or they were so reckless and outrageously indifferent to the high risk of harm associated with their behavior.
Punitive damages are capped under 735 I.L.C.S. § 1115.05(a). Under the law, your punitive damages cannot exceed three times your total economic damages. If you are awarded economic damages of $100,000, your punitive damages, if awarded, should not exceed $300,000.
How Our Oak Lawn, IL Personal Injury Attorneys Can Assist You
Our attorneys can help you prepare and file your case so that you can get financial compensation as quickly as possible. Preparing a lawsuit takes much more time and work than many realize. In fact, by the time we file your initial complaint, your damages should be fully evaluated, and we should have enough evidence to back up your claims.
Evidence might come from anywhere and look like anything. For some, this means there is a plethora of evidence to take advantage of. Evidence is harder for others to come by, but this does not mean their claims are invalid. Our attorneys have experience with personal injury cases and know where to look for evidence. Physical evidence, witness testimony, and records of your injuries are all good places to start.
Our legal team can meet with you to discuss your case and begin developing effective legal strategies. To begin, you can meet with us in our offices in Chicago, or we are available to meet over Zoom, a phone call, or otherwise remotely. We have a deep knowledge of statutes, court procedures, and personal injury claims in Cook County, IL, and are prepared to help you get the full and fair compensation you deserve.
Call Our Oak Lawn, IL Personal Injury Lawyers to Discuss Your Case
Contact our personal injury lawyers at the Rhatigan Law Offices by calling (312) 578-8502 to schedule a free, private assessment of your case in person or remotely.
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