A
Joliet personal injury lawyer is a civil litigator who is retained by
clients for purposes of pursuing compensation for injuries and
damages suffered by those clients as a result of the carelessness and
negligence of somebody else. Proceeds from settlement or verdicts are
often used for purposes of paying outstanding medical bills and
reimbursing the victim for lost time from work. Some other damages
available under Illinois personal injury law include, any permanent
disfigurement or disability, pain and suffering and diminished
quality of life. On some occasions, victims are killed by the act or
failure to act of somebody else. A Joliet personal injury lawyer will
then pursue damages under the Illinois Wrongful Death Act.
Proving
Negligence
Nearly all personal injury cases involve the
law of negligence. In order to prove negligence, the injured victim
must show the following elements:
- The defendant owed a duty of care to the victim.
- There was a breach of that duty.
- The breach of that duty caused the accident that the claimant was injured in.
- The accident was the proximate cause of his or her damages.
- The claimant suffered legally recognized damages.
Types of Personal Injury Cases
There
are a wide variety of the types of cases that a Joliet
personal injury lawyer will represent
clients in. Here are a few examples of them:
- Automobile, truck and motorcycle crashes.
- Bicycle and pedestrian accidents.
- Accidents occurring on property owned or occupied by somebody else.
- Construction and industrial accidents.
- Injuries caused by dangerously defective products.
- Dog bites and animal attacks.
- Nursing home negligence.
- Medical malpractice.
Don’t Give a Statement
Personal
injury cases involve complex rules of civil procedure and evidence.
It’s highly likely that without the benefit of an effective personal
injury attorney, you’ll make mistakes from the start that will hurt
any case you might have. The insurer of the person or entity who
caused your accident will probably want a recorded statement from you
right away. Illinois law doesn’t require you to give one, so politely
refuse.
Rather than possibly hurting any claim that you might
have, arrange for a free consultation and case evaluation with a
Joliet personal injury lawyer at Shea
Law Group by calling 877-365-0040.
