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.
If you have been injured because of another person’s negligence, get help recovering the compensation you deserve by calling the Rockford personal injury lawyers at the Rhatigan Law Offices at (312) 578-8502 for a free case review.
Elements of a Personal Injury Case in Rockford
Personal injury cases in Rockford may come in many forms. However, there are four basic elements that must be established in 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.
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 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. Contact our Rockford personal injury lawyers as soon as possible after injuries for help filing your claim.
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 you 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 Lawyers Can Help
If you were hurt because of another’s negligent actions, seek assistance from experienced Rockford personal injury lawyers by calling the Rhatigan Law Offices at (312) 578-8502 for a free case review.