If you were injured in an accident, you may be wondering if you should contact a Chicago personal injury lawyer. While many people stress over whether they should contact an attorney, getting legal advice does not have to be a stressful, uncomfortable, or time-consuming process. If you have a claim, contacting a lawyer promptly will greatly improve your chances of securing a financial recovery; and, since you can get a free consultation, the simple truth is that you have no reason not to make a call.
It’s common for people to be unsure if their experience warrants a conversation with an attorney. Here are seven factors to consider when trying to determine if you should call a lawyer.
Personal injury lawyers help individuals who have been involved in all types of accidents. This includes motor vehicle accidents (i.e., car, truck, motorcycle, and bus accidents) as well as falls, fires, boating accidents, airplane accidents, train accidents, animal attacks, and accidents involving dangerous products. Personal injury lawyers handle many types of work accident cases as well, although some of these cases will involve claims for workers’ compensation benefits instead of personal injury damages.
To recover financial compensation, you must be able to prove that you suffered a physical injury in the accident. Personal injury lawyers handle cases involving concussions, broken bones, soft tissue injuries, back injuries, nerve damage, organ damage, and other types of internal and external injuries. If you are experiencing symptoms of an injury and have not yet seen a doctor, you should seek medical attention right away.
If your injuries are only minor, it may not make sense to hire a personal injury lawyer to represent you. But, if your medical bills are piling up, this is another story. Medical treatment for traumatic injuries can be extraordinarily expensive; and, even if you have health insurance, your insurance won’t necessarily cover all of your treatment-related expenses.
Have you missed work as a result of your injuries? Are you experiencing symptoms of anxiety or depression? Are you dealing with pain, suffering, or emotional distress? Have you missed out on social events or spending meaningful time with your children or spouse? These are all common consequences of traumatic injuries, and they are all losses for which a Chicago personal injury lawyer can help you seek just compensation.
If you are 100% to blame for your own injuries, you can’t file a personal injury claim. But, if you have reason to believe that someone else (or a company) is responsible for what happened—or even partially responsible for what happened—a personal injury lawyer may be able to help you file a successful claim. From driving while distracted to failing to maintain safe premises, fault can take many different forms, and all types of fault can justify claims for just compensation.
Under Illinois law, most personal injury claims are subject to a two-year statute of limitations. This means that you have up to two years from the date of your accident to file a lawsuit in court. If it has been more than two years since your accident and Illinois’s two-year statute of limitations applies, it may be too late to assert your legal rights.
Importantly, even if it is nowhere near two years since the date of your accident, you should still talk to a personal injury lawyer right away. In many cases, acting promptly can be critical for preserving evidence and establishing your legal rights. In fact, whether it has been hours, days, or weeks since your accident, we strongly recommend that you contact a lawyer immediately for a free consultation.
Finally, you should only contact a personal injury lawyer if you are serious about asserting your legal rights. Your lawyer will put a lot of effort into pursuing your claim, and your lawyer will need you to play an active role in the process. The more you do to help prove the cause and effects of your injuries, the more you can expect to receive for your injury-related losses.
Were you injured in an accident in Illinois? If so, we encourage you to speak with one of our experienced Chicago personal injury lawyers about your legal rights.
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For a free, no-obligation consultation at Coplan + Crane, call us at (708) 358-8080 or tell us how we can reach you online today. We welcome clients from Chicago, Oak Park, Rockford, and other areas throughout Illinois.
