If you have suffered a personal injury in Palatine because of someone else’s negligence, it can have severe physical and emotional consequences. However, you can take legal action against the responsible party to seek compensation for your losses.
At our firm, we specialize in personal injury cases of all types. We understand that every case is unique and take a personalized approach to ensure you receive the best possible care. Our team can fight tirelessly on your behalf. We will investigate the circumstances surrounding your injury, gather evidence, and negotiate with the opposing party so that your claim is not undervalued. When you need help, do not hesitate to contact our dedicated attorneys.
For a free case assessment with our personal injury attorneys, contact Rhatigan Law Offices at (312) 578-8502.
Types of Personal Injury Cases We Fight in Palatine, IL
Understanding the diverse types of personal injury cases in Palatine can provide insight into the complexities of your case. Our personal injury lawyers have been fighting for our clients for years in numerous kinds of claims. The following are the types of personal injury claims our team can help you within Palatine:
Car Accidents
Car accidents are some of the most common personal injury cases. They can result from various factors, including distracted driving, speeding, drunk driving, and reckless driving. Victims of car accidents can seek compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, property damage, and pain and suffering.
Bicycle Accidents
Bicycle accidents often involve collisions with motor vehicles, resulting in severe injuries because of the lack of protection a bicycle offers. These cases often center on whether the motorist was negligent, such as by failing to yield to the cyclist or not giving them enough space on the road.
Pedestrian Accidents
Pedestrian accidents typically occur when a pedestrian is struck by a motor vehicle. These cases often focus on whether the driver was negligent, such as by speeding, running a red light, or failing to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks.
Motorcycle Accidents
Motorcycle accidents can lead to serious injuries, given the lack of protection a motorcycle provides. These cases often involve issues of negligence, such as a driver failing to check their blind spot before changing lanes or turning.
Truck Accidents
Truck accidents involve commercial trucks and can be particularly devastating because of their size and weight. These cases can be complex, as they might involve multiple parties, including the truck driver, the trucking company, and the manufacturer of the truck or its parts.
Train Accidents
Train accidents can involve collisions with other trains, derailments, or collisions with vehicles or pedestrians at railroad crossings. These cases often involve complex issues of liability and might include multiple defendants, such as the train operator, the track owner, and the train manufacturer.
Uber and Lyft Accidents
Ridesharing services like Uber and Lyft have become increasingly popular in recent years, making transportation more accessible and convenient than ever before. However, with this increase in traffic comes a higher risk of accidents involving rideshare vehicles. These accidents can present unique legal challenges, requiring careful consideration of a range of factors.
One of the main challenges that arise in rideshare accidents is determining liability. In some cases, the driver of the vehicle might be at fault, while in other cases, the rideshare company itself might be liable. This can depend on a variety of factors, such as whether the driver was acting within the scope of their employment at the time of the accident or whether the rideshare company failed to screen or train its drivers properly.
Another important consideration in rideshare accidents is insurance coverage. Rideshare companies typically provide some level of insurance coverage for their drivers and passengers, but the specifics of this coverage can vary depending on a range of factors, such as whether the driver was on duty at the time of the accident or whether the driver was at fault.
Workplace Injury
Workplace injuries can occur in various settings, from offices to construction sites. These cases often involve Workers’ Compensation claims but might also involve personal injury lawsuits if a third party is responsible for the injury.
Construction Accidents
Construction accidents often involve falls, being struck by objects, electrocutions, or being caught between objects. These cases can involve Workers’ Compensation claims, personal injury lawsuits, and potentially even product liability claims.
Product Liability
Product liability refers to the legal responsibility of manufacturers, distributors, suppliers, and retailers for any damages caused by their products. If a consumer is harmed by a defective product, they might file a product liability lawsuit. These cases can involve various products, from household appliances and medical devices to automobiles and children’s toys.
Medical Malpractice
Medical malpractice is a legal term that refers to the negligence or failure of a healthcare provider to provide the standard of care that is expected of them, which causes harm to the patient. The standard of care refers to the level of care and skill that a reasonably competent healthcare provider in the same field would provide under similar circumstances.
Medical malpractice cases can involve a wide range of medical errors, such as misdiagnosis, surgical errors, medication errors, or negligent prenatal care. These errors can result in serious injuries or even death for patients.
Victims of medical malpractice can seek compensation for their injuries and losses through legal means. Compensation might cover medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages. Healthcare providers have a legal and ethical duty to provide their patients with competent and safe care, and those who fail to meet this standard should be held responsible for their actions.
Nursing Home Abuse
Nursing home abuse involves the mistreatment of elderly individuals living in nursing homes. This can include physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, financial exploitation, and neglect. Victims of nursing home abuse or their families can file a lawsuit against the nursing home or its staff to seek justice and compensation.
Animal Attacks
Animal attacks, most commonly dog bites, can result in serious injuries. In Palatine, the owner of an animal that attacks a person without provocation might be held liable for the victim’s injuries. Victims of animal attacks can seek compensation for medical expenses, pain and suffering, and other losses.
Aviation Accidents
Aviation accidents involve aircraft, including commercial airlines, private jets, and helicopters. These cases can be incredibly complex because of the numerous potential causes and the multiple parties that could be held liable. Victims of aviation accidents or their families can seek compensation for injuries, loss of life, and other damages.
Wrongful Death
Wrongful death claims arise when a person dies because of the legal fault of another person or entity. This could include death because of car accidents, medical malpractice, or workplace accidents. The deceased’s loved ones can file a wrongful death lawsuit to seek compensation for their loss, including funeral expenses, loss of income, and loss of companionship.
Types of Evidence Our Lawyers Can Use to Prove a Personal Injury Claim in Palatine, IL
Numerous types of evidence are often used to paint the entire picture of how another person injured someone in an accident. Physical evidence can be shown where it is practical to use, while photos and surveillance footage usually serve as evidence when physical evidence cannot be submitted. Accident reports can also provide critical facts necessary to prove the elements of a case. Eyewitnesses often prove a decisive factor when they can testify to what they saw. Medical and financial records will substantiate the economic and non-economic damages you sustained. In complex cases or those lacking other forms of evidence, expert witnesses can weigh in and offer their professional opinions to the court. Our team can gather this evidence for you while you focus on your health.
Accident Reports
Accident reports are usually the first place our attorneys start investigating a case if they are available. Thus, it is important to report your accident right after it happens while you are still on the scene.
For instance, the police will respond to a car accident to draft a report of what they observe. Police crash reports typically include the debris they see on the scene, the damage to the vehicles and parties involved, and any eyewitness who could provide statements. The reports might also include the investigating officer’s conclusions on who was at fault.
Businesses also usually make accident reports after an accident on their property. For example, a victim who slips and falls in a store should report it to a manager immediately after. It will detail the reason for your fall and when it occurred, which will lend credibility to your claims since you are documenting it from the start. Our team can get these reports while you recover, as well as internal communications the business might have made after taking the report of your accident.
Physical Evidence
Physical evidence can clearly illustrate what caused your injuries if it is practical to bring them into court. Perhaps you were injured by a defective appliance. In that case, we can bring in the product to illustrate how it was negligently manufactured or lacked warnings that should have been included. Our team can also arrange for experts to analyze the physical evidence and explain to the court why it was defective and how it injured you.
Eyewitness Statements
Having eyewitnesses recount the same event you are describing can greatly support your claim and build your credibility. They can describe facts in your case that you might not have seen directly, filling the gaps in your own knowledge. For instance, an eyewitness can talk about how they saw the other driver run a red light when you only know for a fact that you had the green light. With their testimony added to yours, it shows a clear picture of what happened.
Our team can use accident reports and notes you took after the accident to identify and contact eyewitnesses to have them testify in your case. During litigation, we can interview them and prepare them for questioning during depositions. If the case goes to trial, we can have them testify on the stand and tell the court what they saw during the accident.
Photos and Surveillance Video
When physical evidence cannot be reasonably presented during settlement negotiations or in court, photos and videos are often a powerful substitute. A vehicle damaged in a car accident cannot be brought to court, and you will usually need it repaired long before your case concludes. If you took pictures of the damage, it can be submitted as evidence instead of the real thing. This is also useful if you are injured on another person’s property, such as taking pictures of a spill that will likely be cleaned right away.
Our team can also investigate the scene to determine if any surveillance cameras recorded your accident. A business security camera, residential door cameras, ATM cameras, dashcams, and cell phone videos might have captured your accident if they were nearby or involved in the accident. Our lawyers will contact camera owners to get potential footage or demand it from the defendant if the video is in their possession.
Medical Records
Medical records are crucial for proving your damages and will be a major part of your case. They will also provide a timeline starting with the accident and the treatment you received after. Medical reports can show that you came in for treatment because of the accident, providing a causal connection to the defendant’s negligence.
Most importantly, medical records detail the severity of your injuries and the expenses you have incurred. This will impact the current damages we are trying to recover, as well as justify the future expenses your injuries should be compensated with.
Expert Witness Reports and Testimony
Expert witnesses can also be used to explain complex causes of an accident and provide opinions on how the defendant caused the accident. For example, an expert can help the court understand how a product was negligently manufactured or how a negligent driver caused a collision. Our team will arrange for experts to testify and provide reports when other forms of evidence are inconclusive.
Our Palatine, IL Personal Injury Lawyers Are Here to Fight for You
Our personal injury lawyers at Rhatigan Law Offices can give you a free case review by calling us at (312) 578-8502.
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