The Chicago car accident lawyers at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, LLC, are legal advocates for our clients and have obtained over $250 million on their behalf.
Injured? Contact A Chicago Car Accident Lawyer Today.
Don’t delay; contact an experienced Chicago car accident lawyer to discuss your claim. Knowing your legal rights and options is essential if you have suffered from injuries.
Call a Chicago car accident lawyer today at (888) 424-5757 (toll-free phone number) or use the contact form today for immediate legal advice and schedule a free consultation.
All confidential or sensitive information you share with our legal team regarding your car accident in Chicago remains private through an attorney-client relationship.
Hire A Chicago Car Accident Lawyer To Fight For Your Rights
The number of car accidents in America is staggering, and you can’t prevent impaired drivers [1] from causing damage. But what you can do is regain control of your life after car accidents occur, and a Chicago car accident lawyer can help.
The consequences are devastating, with severe loss and damage suffered by victims. Victims of accidents often sustain serious injuries, with thousands of fatalities in preventable car crashes yearly. Property is destroyed that is often irreplaceable without legal intervention.
Contacting a Chicago car accident lawyer is the first step to recovery. We will safeguard your rights, obtain fair compensation, and ultimately assist you in getting your life back on track.
Handling a Maximum Compensation Claim Without Legal Representation from a Chicago Car Accident Attorney
Within the first few days following a car accident [2], the other motorist’s insurer will likely contact you regarding your car accident claim. They will try to:
- Determine the at-fault party
- Discuss in detail how the car collision occurred
Our personal injury law firm often advises potential clients to watch what they say during the call. Insurance claim adjusters are trained with proven tactics to get people to admit fault.
Often, they ask leading questions that are difficult to answer without implicating the individual as though they are responsible for the accident that occurred.
If you choose to have a conversation without the representation of a car accident attorney, only give basic details of the events.
Underinsured and Uninsured Motorist (UM) Coverage
By law, all drivers operating motor vehicles in Illinois carry uninsured motorist (UM) coverage. This coverage protects drivers and their passengers if they are involved in a car accident with a driver who does not have automobile liability insurance. [3]
Drivers and passengers involved in an accident with an uninsured motorist can file car accident claims with their uninsured motorist coverage.
The injured driver’s insurance carrier will investigate the accident and will typically try to settle the car insurance claim quickly and for less than the policy limits.
Underinsured Motorist Coverage
If you are injured in an uninsured motorist accident, speak to a professional car accident lawyer as soon as possible. Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, LLC attorneys have years of experience representing uninsured motorists’ car accident victims.
An experienced car accident lawyer from our law office can assist you in recovering the compensation you deserve. We offer a free consultation to discuss your case with an experienced car accident injury lawyer and determine your legal options.
Each car accident lawyer works on a contingency fee basis, so you don’t have to pay us unless we recover compensation for you.
How The Car Insurance Company Typically Handles an Accident Claim
When the insurance companies’ drivers involved in a car accident are informed of the crash, they dispatch insurance adjusters to the scene. The adjusters will investigate the accident [4] and develop a theory about who caused the crash.
The car insurance company will typically try to settle the claim quickly and within the policy limits. They are a business, too, and aim to avoid paying more money than necessary on the claim.
If the injured person does not have an experienced car accident lawyer, the insurance company often offers well below what the case is worth.
Never Accept the First Settlement Offer
The insurance company may use various tactics to lowball the car accident settlement, hoping the injured victims accept the offer before they understand:
- The extent of their damages
- The severity of their injuries
- The long-term impact the accident will have on their life
An experienced Chicago car accident lawyer fighting for your rights is crucial when dealing with the insurance company.
Contact Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, LLC, the injury lawyers with years of experience dealing with insurance companies and getting our clients the best possible settlement.
What We Will Do for You to Ensure Maximum Compensation
Our legal practice will determine your claim’s value through a comprehensive case review to ensure you receive the compensation you deserve.
We work on a contingency fee, so you only have to pay us for our fees if we recover compensation.
Identify All Defendants
Your lawyer might identify multiple defendants to add to your case’s legal claim or lawsuit, such as –
- Other at-fault drivers
- The vehicle manufacturer
- The roadway designer or maintainer
- The municipality
Gather Evidence
Our legal practice will collect all of the evidence needed to support your case, including –
- Photos of the crash scene
- Pictures of the vehicles involved in the crash
- Police reports [5]
- Witness statements
- Medical records
- Video footage of the accident (if available)
Negotiate A Settlement With The Insurance Company
Our legal practice will negotiate a fair and full settlement with the insurance company on your behalf. We have years of experience negotiating with insurers and getting our clients the best possible settlement.
Resolving a personal injury claim might take multiple negotiation settlement meetings, especially if multiple defendants are involved in the crash.
File an Accident Lawsuit
Our law firms will file a car collision lawsuit on your behalf when enough evidence is available. A lawsuit will allow us to take the defendant’s insurance company to court and fight for a fair trial.
Submitting a claim through our law firms will inform the insurance company that you have an experienced and aggressive law firm fighting for your rights.
In addition, the representation could result in a better settlement offer from the insurance company.
Workers’ Compensation Benefits for A Motor Vehicle Accident
Were you injured in a car wreck while on company time, driving your vehicle, or theirs?
If so, we will carefully examine the circumstances of your case to determine if any other liens, workers’ compensation benefits, or health care is available to help you recover damages.
By Illinois law, your employer must carry workers’ compensation insurance to pay for any medical bills and lost wages if you are injured. This coverage might include any damages generated while working, on your way to work, or driving a company vehicle.
However, a strict statute of limitations exists on filing for workers’ compensation benefits. Speak to a Chicago lawyer as soon as possible.
The Financial Compensation You Should Expect After Your Accident
Suffering severe injuries, facing high auto repair bills, or losing a loved one in a car collision can be financially devastating. Unfortunately, you might not know where to turn for help.
Our firm has helped thousands of Illinoisans and Chicagoans, and we can help you too. We will fight to get you the fair and total compensation you deserve to cover all your accident-related expenses (including future medical costs).
What Level of Compensation Can You Receive?
How much compensation you could receive is based on the extent of your damages. You can expect to receive compensation that covers –
- Medical bills: Nearly all moderate to severe car collisions result in enormous medical costs that include hospital bills, surgical care, counseling, physical therapy, rehabilitation, assisted devices, prescription drugs, emergency medical treatment, and ongoing care (future medical payments).
- Loss of income: Many car and truck accidents leave injured victims unable to return to work or reduce their future earning capacity either temporarily or permanently.
- Pain and suffering: [6] The physical and emotional harm you experience from a car collision can be significant.
- Punitive damages: If the at-fault driver’s actions were reckless or malicious, you might be able to recover additional money to punish (punitive damages) the at-fault party.
If you have been injured in a car accident in Chicago, do not hesitate to contact Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, LLC, for immediate legal assistance with your automobile accident case.
Chicago Car Accident Lawyer Cases
For years, each personal injury attorney at our law office has handled car accident cases involving single vehicles, multiple vehicles, pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcycles, commercial trucks, and more.
Our Chicago auto accident attorneys are here to help you and your family member file a personal injury lawsuit to recover the just compensation you deserve. Contact us today for a free legal consultation.
Car Accident Victims in Hit-and-Run Cases
Hit-and-run accidents are all too common where the at-fault driver responsible for causing the crash flees the crash scene. Fortunately, you are likely still covered under your insurance policy to pay for all non-economic and economic damages associated with a hit-and-run crash.
Under Illinois law, insurance companies must provide uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM) insurance if you are the victim of a hit-and-run accident.
This requirement means you can still recover economic damages from your policy up to your coverage limits even if the driver at fault is never apprehended.
Our car accident firm can help you file a UM claim and negotiate with your auto insurer to get your compensation.
We have successfully represented hit-and-run victims in court against their insurance companies and recovered millions of dollars in economic damages for our plaintiff’s injuries. Let our car accident attorneys help you too.
Pedestrian and Bicycle Accidents
Thousands of pedestrians are killed or injured in vehicle accidents yearly. Many of these accidents could be prevented if drivers exercised caution around pedestrians.
If you are a pedestrian injured in an accident, you should contact a lawyer to handle your car accident. You may be entitled to pursue compensation for your medical bills, lost earnings, and pain and suffering.
According to car collision statistics involving bicycles:
- Vehicles striking pedestrians or bicyclists account for almost half of all traffic fatalities in the United States.
- The number of bicyclist and pedestrian fatalities has increased from 5,376 in 2015 to 7,468 in 2020. This rate is a significant increase of 41%.
- In Chicago, there were 97 pedestrian fatalities in 2019. This rate is a significant increase from the 73 pedestrian fatalities in 2018.
- Bicyclist fatalities have also increased from 8 in 2013 to 19 in 2019. These bike/car accident statistics reveal a significant increase of 138%.
Common Car Accident Injuries in Chicago
Even a minor injury can leave the victim with life-changing harm, requiring adjustments in daily life. Our Chicago, Illinois, injury attorneys have handled many cases where our clients have suffered injuries after the crash.
Common car accident injuries include:
- Whiplash: The quick thrust of a collision can whip the head and neck, often causing severe injury with pain and stiffness in the cervical spine.
- Concussion: [7] A concussion is a traumatic brain injury that can cause dizziness, nausea, vomiting, confusion, and headache.
- Spinal Cord Injury: Damage to the spinal cord can lead to paralysis or loss of limb mobility.
- Traumatic brain injury: [8] A hard blow to the head can cause the brain to collide with the skull, leading to swelling and potential damage, commonly called a TBI.
- Puncture wounds: Any sharp object during the collision can puncture the skin, skull, internal organs, muscles, and even bone.
- Chest Injury: A chest injury can leave an injured car accident victim with difficulty breathing, chest pain, bad injury, and even death.
- Eye Injury: Eye injuries can cause blindness and even permanent vision loss.
- Foot and knee injuries: The driver and front-seat passengers are highly susceptible to foot and knee injuries during a head-on collision or side-impact crash.
- : The shattered glass from the windshield or side windows can leave the victim of the car accident with a devastating injury, including a deep cut and facial laceration leaving deformity, scar tissue, or nerve damage.
You should immediately contact a car accident attorney if you have been injured in an automobile accident. You may be entitled to compensation for your medical payments, lost earnings, and pain and suffering.
Our trial lawyers have years of experience handling car crash cases and know how to get you the compensation you deserve.
Determining Liability for Your Vehicle Accident
Identifying all parties involved in an auto accident requires intense and time-consuming investigative work. Our legal team will hire accident reconstruction experts to evaluate what happened and determine who caused the wreck.
Examples of Liability
Many Chicago, IL accident cases we have handled and resolved involve:
- : Operating a vehicle under the influence of drugs or alcohol is illegal. Even though there are laws to protect against drunk driving, many of our clients were severely hurt or killed due to someone else’s negligence because of driving drunk or another impairment.
- Failure to yield: Drivers who do not yield to pedestrians in a crosswalk or stop for a stop sign can be held liable for any injuries the pedestrian sustains.
- : Drivers talking on the phone, texting, eating, or adjusting the radio can be held responsible for any collisions they cause.
- Illegal lane changes: Swerving in and out of lanes can be extremely dangerous, especially if done at high speeds.
- Running stop signs or red lights: A negligent driver who runs stop signs or red lights is often in a hurry and ends up causing serious collisions.
- Speeding: Driving too fast for the conditions is one of the leading causes of automobile accidents.
- Reckless driving: When a driver dangerously operates a vehicle, they can be charged with reckless driving.
- Hitting objects on the road: If a driver hits a pothole, debris in the road, or another vehicle, they can be liable for any damages.
- Faulty brakes or bald tires: A vehicle with defective brakes or bald tires is a hazard on the road, and the driver can be held liable for vehicle accidents.
- Defective car parts: The manufacturer can be liable for damages if a defective car part causes a crash.
- Road rage: When one driver becomes angry and lashes out at the other driver, it can lead to dangerous driving behavior and serious accidents.
If you have been injured in an automobile accident, our civil law team can help you identify all liable parties and get you the compensation you deserve.
Catastrophic Car Collisions Involving Commercial Trucks
The sheer size and weight of a fully loaded semi-tractor trailer traveling at any speed can cause serious injuries and death when hitting a passenger vehicle.
According to the Illinois Department of Transportation, in 2016 1,921 crashes involved commercial trucks in Illinois. Of those crashes, 104 were fatal, and 1,817 resulted in injuries.
Many of these crashes involved colliding with other drivers stopped at a red light or turning left in front of the truck.
The Illinois Statute of Limitations
The Illinois state legislature has enacted a statute of limitations on filing injury cases. According to the law (735 ILCS 5/13-202) [9] regarding injury claims, car accident victims with damages can file a Chicago car accident claim within two years from the car accident date.
If you do not file a car accident lawsuit before the two-year deadline, you will lose your right to pursue any legal action. However, extenuating circumstances may allow you to file past the deadline. Contact an established lawyer with experience in car accident scenarios to discuss your options.
This time limit applies to all Chicago, IL, car accident lawsuits.
The Accident Was Not My Fault! What Do I Do Now?
If the car accident was not your fault, you should contact an experienced car accident attorney as soon as possible. The car accident attorney can help you protect your rights and get the compensation you deserve.
You may be entitled to non-economic and economic damages for medical costs, lost income, and pain and suffering. The Chicago car accident attorney will negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf and get you the best possible settlement.
An attorney can file a car accident lawsuit on your behalf and take the case to trial if the insurer refuses to settle.
Speaking to an experienced car accident attorney as soon as possible after an accident is essential to receive legal counsel and discuss your options.
Proving Your Case
Under civil tort law, you must prove negligence that someone (other driver) or some entity (automobile manufacturer, road maintenance crew, etc.) is responsible for damages to settle your claim or win your car accident case at trial. You’ll need to prove the four elements of civil law, including –
- The individual or entity at fault for the accident had a duty to ensure your safety.
- The breach of their duty led to your severe injury due to a car accident.
- The accident resulted in injuries and damages.
- You can prove your damages in court if necessary. You will need evidence to support your car collision case, including eyewitness testimony, medical expense bills and treatment records, cell phone records (if distracted driving is suspected), and photographs.
Car Accidents in Chicago FAQs
Our Illinois personal injury firm understands that many families have unanswered questions negotiating with the other driver’s insurance company to resolve a compensation claim after a crash. Chicago vehicle accident lawyers from our law office have answered some of those questions below.
Call our law office at (888) 424-5757, use the contact form for additional information, or schedule a free case evaluation to discuss your case.
Contact A Chicago Car Accident Lawyer to Resolve Your Compensation Claim
Did your loved one suffer serious or fatal injuries in a vehicle crash? If so, contact our car accident lawyers at (888) 424-5757 or use the contact form as soon as possible. We can help protect your rights and get the compensation you deserve.
Speak with our Chicago accident injury firm representing injured victims. Claims we litigate for clients include medical malpractice, pedestrian collisions, product liability, construction accidents, nursing home abuse, etc.
Contingency Fee Agreement
Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, LLC’s attorneys accept all car injury claims and wrongful death cases on a contingency fee agreement. This arrangement ensures our clients have legal representation without paying upfront out-of-pocket expenses.
Our firm advances all expenses in resolving a claim for a car accident and gets paid only when negotiating a settlement or winning a jury trial award. Our “No-Win/No-Fee” Guarantee is simple: We do not get paid if you do not win!
All confidential or sensitive information you share with our car accident law firm remains private through a car accident attorney-client relationship.
Resources: [1] cdc.gov, [2] health.gov, [3] state.gov, [4] NHTSA, [5] Chicago Police, [6] PubMed, [7] CDC, [8] CDC, [9] Ilga.gov, [10] NHTSA, [11] bls.gov, [12] NHTSA