Personal Injury
In Need of a Personal Injury Attorney?
Are you dealing with the aftermath of a serious injury in Chicago, IL? Perhaps a careless driver hit you, or you slipped and fell on a slick floor at the grocery store. Maybe your neighbor’s dog bit you, or you were injured while taking using a rideshare service like Uber or Lyft. Regardless of the specific circumstances, if you’ve been hurt because of something someone else did, you could be owed compensation for what you’ve suffered—including your medical bills, lost wages, physical pain, and emotional suffering. Let the Chicago personal injury lawyers with Wallace Miller help you demand it. Call (312) 800-1696 or contact us online for a free consultation.
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Understanding Personal Injury Claims in Chicago, IL
In Illinois, personal injury law is based on a simple concept: someone who hurts another person is legally responsible for the consequences. In other words, if you can prove that someone else is at fault for your injuries, you may be able to hold them liable for your:
- Medical bills
- Property damage
- Lost wages
- Pain and suffering
- Diminished quality of life
Perhaps unsurprisingly, though, this simple concept becomes far more complicated in practice. Here are a few things you should know about the legal landscape in Illinois regarding personal injuries and how that landscape can affect your claim.
When the unexpected happens, we’re here to help.
If you suffered injuries or lost a family member in any accident due to someone else’s negligent actions, do not hesitate to contact Wallace Miller. Our personal injury lawyers have decades of experience handling these cases and holding individuals and companies accountable for their wrongdoing.
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Common Causes of Injuries and Fatalities in Personal Injury Cases
Establishing Liability in Illinois
In Illinois, you can establish liability on a number of legal concepts. The three most common are as follows:
Negligence
Negligence is the most common basis for liability, in which you must prove that the defendant injured you by failing to act with reasonable care. For example, a motorist who failed to check their blind spot before changing lanes did not exercise reasonable care. They would be liable if they collided with a car next to them.
Strict Liability
Strict liability only applies to specific situations, most commonly defective products and dog bites. In strict liability, you do not have to show that the defendant was careless. You just need to show that the action occurred.
Intentional Torts
On the other hand, intentional torts require you to prove that the defendant deliberately acted to harm you, such as in cases of assault.
Comparative Negligence in Illinois
Illinois adheres to a modified comparative negligence rule in personal injury cases. This legal doctrine allows you to recover compensation even if you are partially at fault for your injuries. If your case goes to court, the judge or jury will review the evidence and assess you a percentage of fault. If that share of fault is not more than 50%, it will still award you compensation, though it will also reduce the amount of compensation you can recover in proportion to that fault. However, if the court finds you more than 50% responsible for the accident, you cannot recover any compensation at all. Personal injury lawyers train to minimize their clients’ percentage of fault and maximize the compensation they can recover.
Statute of Limitations in Illinois
The statute of limitations for personal injury claims in Illinois is generally two years from the date of the injury. If you attempt to file a lawsuit outside this period, the court will likely dismiss your case as untimely. However, there are exceptions that could extend or shorten this timeline. For example, Illinois law provides a discovery rule for injuries that might not be immediately apparent. This rule extends the filing period to two years from the date you discovered or should have discovered your injury. Still, time is of the essence in pursuing your rights, so there’s no time to waste in contacting an attorney.
Why Choose Wallace Miller?
When results matter, so does your choice in a personal injury firm. You need to be able to trust your Chicago personal injury lawyer to do whatever it takes to get you the money you deserve. Wallace Miller will stands strong for our clients’ stories, while delivering groundbreaking results. We focus on open communication and do our best to give back to the community. We don’t charge you a fee unless we win your case, and we’ll go the distance in pursuit of the results you deserve.
Need more reasons? Our attorneys are members of prestigious, members-only organizations, including Best Lawyers, Leading Lawyers, and Super Lawyers, as well as National Trial Lawyers and the American Association for Justice.
Wallace Miller has the skills, resources, and experience to handle a wide range of personal injury cases. Here are a few of the types of claims we can help you with.
Cases We Handle
Burn Injuries
Burn injuries can result from a variety of sources, such as fire, scalding liquids, electrical sources, and chemical exposure. These injuries can range from minor burns to severe, life-threatening conditions that require extensive medical treatment and could lead to long-term physical and emotional impacts.
Dog Bites
Dog bites can lead to serious injuries, particularly in children and older adults. They often require immediate medical attention to prevent infections and treat wounds. Illinois law makes dog owners or handlers strictly liable for dog bites in most cases.
Rideshare Accident Lawsuits
Rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft are ubiquitous on Chicago streets, but their drivers do not receive any more training than the average motorist. As such, these companies must carry substantial insurance policies that cover their drivers under certain conditions. Depending on the circumstances, these policies provide up to $1 million in liability coverage.
Spinal Cord Injuries
Spinal cord injuries can be devastating, often resulting from traffic accidents or falls, and may lead to partial or complete paralysis. These injuries require significant medical treatment and may impact every aspect of a person’s life, including their ability to work and care for themselves.
Wrongful Death
Some accidents prove fatal. In these tragic circumstances, the deceased’s survivors can file a wrongful death claim against the at-fault parties. Doing so allows them to seek compensation for loss of financial support, love and affection, and instruction/education, as well as their pain and suffering.
Motorcycle Accidents
The exposed position of motorcyclists puts them at heightened risk of serious injuries in the event of an accident. Worse, insurance companies often try to blame them for their own injuries, relying on stereotypes of bikers as reckless thrill-seekers. Injured motorcyclists often need experienced legal representation to fight these tactics and secure fair compensation.
Gas Station & Convenience Store Car Crash Injuries
Injuries due to vehicles crashing into commercial buildings like gas stations and convenience stores are much more common than one might expect. According to the Storefront Safety Council, at least 100 American drivers crash into buildings every day, with more than 36,500 building crashes a year—and these accidents kill more than 400 people annually.Â
Establishments like convenience stores and gas stations can help prevent damage and injuries by installing physical barriers to protect their customers. If they neglect to do so despite the risk and an accident occurs, these companies may be responsible for any injuries. Some plaintiffs have received tens of millions of dollars in compensation after being harmed as a result of a storefront accident.
If you or a loved one were injured by a driver running into a gas station, convenience store, or other business, the business owner may be liable for the harm you suffered. Reach out to our personal injury team to discuss your case and find out what we can do to help.
Car Accidents
Negligence is the most common basis for liability, in which you must prove that the defendant injured you by failing to act with reasonable care. For example, a motorist who failed to check their blind spot before changing lanes did not exercise reasonable care. They would be liable if they collided with a car next to them.
Premises Liability
Property owners and occupiers must inspect their premises and keep them safe from hazards. Failure to address those hazards or warn lawful visitors of their presence can make those parties liable for resulting injuries.
Slip-and-Falls
Slip and fall accidents are common premises liability claims that occur when a property owner’s negligence leads to dangerous conditions, resulting in injury. Common injuries include broken bones, head injuries, and spinal cord damage.
Traumatic Brain Injuries
Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) result from a blow or jolt to the head that disrupts normal brain function, ranging from mild concussions to severe brain damage. These injuries can have lasting effects on cognitive, physical, and emotional health.
Worksite Injuries
Worksite injuries encompass a range of incidents from falls to machinery accidents, often requiring comprehensive medical attention and potentially leading to long-term disability. Injured employees may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits and can also pursue third-party claims against at-fault parties other than their employer.
Truck Accidents
Commercial trucks can weigh up to 80,000 pounds—about 20 times the size of a passenger vehicle. That means they do serious damage in the event of a collision with one of these smaller vehicles. Truck accident victims often face life-altering injuries, and the complex nature of the trucking industry can make it hard to pursue fair compensation without legal guidance.
Bicycle Accidents
Bicyclists often suffer serious injuries when they’re hit by larger, heavier, and more powerful motor vehicles. Victims may pursue compensation for medical expenses, lost earnings, and more.
Pedestrian Accidents
Pedestrian accidents typically occur when drivers fail to yield right of way, leading to injuries that can be severe due to the unprotected nature of pedestrians. Victims may be entitled to compensation for medical costs, lost income, and other related expenses.
Common Types of Personal Injury Lawsuits
Burn Injury
Burn injuries can cause serious harm. According to the World Health Organization, over 400,000 burn injuries occurred in the U.S. in one year, and over 40,000 of those required hospitalization.
Even if you survive your burn injuries, they can cause a range of long-term difficulties. For example, your injuries may require costly medical treatment you’re not prepared to pay for. They could also permanently impact your quality of life if they result in long-term pain or disability.
You may be eligible for compensation if you’ve sustained serious burn injuries here in Illinois in an accident that was someone else’s fault. At Wallace Miller, our Chicago burn injury lawyers understand that the future looks very uncertain right now. We can help you move forward from this experience by pursuing the compensation you need. Contact us today at (312) 800-1696 to learn more.
Motor Vehicle Accidents
Animal Attacks
Premises Liability
Injuries caused by unsafe property conditions are far more common than many realize. According to the National Floor Safety Institute, more than 8 million people seek emergency room treatment for falls yearly, and slip and fall incidents alone account for roughly 1 million ER visits. In Illinois, the Department of Public Health reports that unintentional falls are the leading cause of non-fatal injury hospitalizations statewide.
Traumatic Brain Injury
Your brain plays a critical role in everything from motor control to problem-solving abilities. If you’ve sustained a traumatic brain injury (TBI) in Chicago, the impact on your brain damage and your quality of life may be severe.
The impact on your finances could also be significant. Paying for TBI treatment may prove challenging. Covering the cost of treatment might be particularly difficult if a TBI prevents you from working and earning a paycheck.
Spinal Cord Injury
Your spinal cord sends messages to and receives messages from the brain in the form of nerve signals. Damage to the spinal cord can significantly impact your quality of life.
Workplace Injuries
Workplace injuries can happen anywhere—from construction sites to office environments. After an injury, you may require extensive medical treatment and, in some cases, you may be unable to return to your job immediately, resulting in lost wages and financial stress.
Catastrophic Injury
Catastrophic injuries are life-changing. Unlike minor or moderate injuries, they don’t just heal with time. They reshape daily routines, reduce independence, and place severe financial burdens on individuals and families. In Chicago and across Illinois, victims of devastating injuries are often left navigating not just physical recovery, but emotional trauma, long-term disability, and mounting expenses with no clear end in sight.
Wrongful Death
Losing a loved one is among the most devastating experiences anyone can endure, especially when another’s negligence or misconduct causes that loss. In Illinois, countless families face this unthinkable reality each year. Having the right advocates on your side is critical during such a painful and disorienting time.
Q&A
Can I Still Recover Compensation If I’m Partially to Blame for My Injuries?
Yes. Illinois allows you to recover compensation as long as you aren’t more than 50 percent to blame for your injuries. However, a court will reduce your compensation in proportion to your share of the blame.
How Long Do I Have to File My Claim?
Illinois’s statute of limitations on personal injury claims is two years. While there are certain situations that could extend or shorten this deadline, do not assume these apply to your case. Instead, speak with a lawyer about your case as soon as you can.
How Much Does a Personal Injury Lawyer Cost?
Most personal injury lawyers work on a contingency fee basis. This means their payment is contingent on their ability to recover compensation. If they do not win your case, you do not have to pay them. If they do win, they take their fee from an agreed-upon portion of your recovery.
Do I Really Need a Personal Injury Lawyer?
Yes. Insurance companies and defense attorneys know how to limit liability and avoid paying injured parties fairly. Without legal protection, you are at risk of recovering far less than you deserve. At the very least, you should speak with a lawyer about your case during a free consultation.
What Should I Bring to My Initial Consultation?
The more information you can provide to your prospective attorney, the more advise they can give you about your case. Try to bring photographs of the scene if you have them, as well as your medical bills and treatment notes. Write down everything you remember about the accident while your memory is fresh and bring it with you.
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 At Wallace Miller, our personal injury lawyers know the uphill battle you face. We are ready to take over your case so you can focus on healing. Our team will provide the guidance you need and remain by your side until the end.
If you sustained an injury or lost a loved one in an accident due to someone’s negligence, call Wallace Miller for your free consultation at (312) 800-1696Â
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