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If you’ve had an accident, you may have a personal injury claim and need to call a Chicago personal injury lawyer.
Society can be rough. We directly and indirectly interact with hundreds (maybe thousands) of people every day of the week. For example, how many people did you drive with on the road today? How many people were involved in the manufacture of that consumer product you used today? How many people had a hand in that minor medical procedure you just underwent? With that kind of interrelation between us, injuries are inevitable, and not just minor ones, but major ones that can affect our life permanently.
Most personal injury cases fall under one of the following categories:
- Motor vehicle accidents
- Workplace accidents
- Premise accidents (ex. Slip and falls)
- Malpractice
- Product liability
The good news is the law recognizes that if you are injured by the negligence of another, you are entitled to compensation for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering and loss of future earnings. So when should you call? When the following conditions exist: a duty, a breach of that duty, the proximate cause and resulting damages.
For example, take the example of a car accident where Jim smashes into your car and injures you.
THE DUTY. If Jim is driving his car to work, Jim has a duty to everyone else on the road to operate his vehicle in a safe manner.
A BREACH. If Jim does not operate his car in a safe manner, he is breaching his duty.
PROXIMATE CAUSE. If he slams into the back of your car because he is not operating in a safe manner, then Jim’s negligence is the proximate cause of the collision.
DAMAGES. Now you have medical bills and have to miss work because of Jim’s breach of duty.
If you can identify these elements in your case, you probably have a solid case for personal injury. It’s time to call a Chicago personal injury lawyer!
While the Bureau of Justice Statistics cites DuPage and Cook as among the highest counties in the nation for civil trials, the fact is that the vast majority of personal injury cases, usually more than 90 percent, are settled out of court. That’s good news because it takes a great deal of time and money to go to trial. Settling usually makes economic sense for both parties and in many cases, the plaintiff can receive a larger settlement than they would in court.
A competent Chicago personal injury lawyer can guide you through the process so you receive the settlement you deserve. The important thing to remember is to always call the attorney first, and then protect yourself by withholding statements to after-the fact investigator or insurance companies until you have a chance to consult with your attorney.
At Gardi, Haught, Fischer & Bhosale LTD, our attorneys successfully represent individuals in slip and fall injuries, car accidents, medical malpractice suits, injury from a defective consumer products and more. We want to take your case.
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