Car Accident Lawyer Elgin IL – Law Offices of Anthony R. Scifo – Call for a Consultation at 847-628-8311
Car Accident Lawyer Elgin IL
It’s difficult to prepare for the reality of being involved in a major motor vehicle accident that results in injuries. Accidents may cause severe, life-changing injuries that last for months, years or even for a lifetime. After all, it takes just a fraction of a second for a vehicle accident to affect a big change in one’s daily life. The knowledgeable personal injury lawyers at our firm have a demonstrated history of litigating successful injury claims for victims of vehicle crashes and obtaining the compensation they truly and rightfully deserve.
Without question, involvement in a car accident is often a traumatic and unsettling experience. However, there are a few critical steps you may take to help ensure your own well-being and to start establishing a foundation for an injury claim later on. The obvious and most essential first step is to immediately seek medical care, even if at the time you feel okay and believe you are not injured or that any injuries you do have are minor.
The next step – which depends upon your condition in the aftermath of a crash – is to take down details of the accident and photos of the scene and your injuries. If you are able to do so, also obtain the names and the contact numbers of any parties involved in the crash and anyone else who saw what happened. During the following days, maintain a journal that contains details on the extent and specifics of your injuries, recovery and communications with medical care professionals. This includes receipts, bills and travel costs for treatment. These are all examples of useful information that can make a big difference in the end results of your injury claim.
Liability for the Vehicle Accident
Even when it appears that liability for a motor vehicle accident is very clear, an insurance carrier will still conduct an investigation in order to try and show that you are at least partly at fault for damages to avoid payment of your claim. It is essential to know you don’t need to participate in any part of their investigation. Representation by a Car Accident Lawyer Elgin IL can prevent insurance adjusters from harassment toward you as you recover from injuries. A lawyer also can
Investigate the accident to prove with party is truly responsible for it.
Compensation for Motor Vehicle Accidents
Many Illinois residents may be under the misconception that compensation for an injury claim due to a car accident consists only of the past and current medical expenses. Insurance carriers are well aware of this. As a result, it’s not uncommon for people to accept a settlement from the insurer that is for an amount that far below what they probably deserve. The damages from a vehicle accident can include fair compensation for lost income, disability, doctor appointments and any other expenses you incur as a consequence of the crash.
Talk to a Car Accident Lawyer Elgin IL if You Were Hurt in a Vehicle Crash – 847-628-8311
How a Car Accident Lawyer Elgin IL Can Help You with an Injury Claim After an Accident
Accidents are a shocking and often traumatic experience for all parties involved. Chances are good that in the moments immediately after a crash, you’re not going to be thinking calmly and clearly. This is especially likely if you suffer any type of severe injury. Afterwards, you might find that you’ll face escalating costs relating to the accident, legal action and insurance claims. Your main focus, though should remain on your recovery.
A Car Accident Lawyer Elgin IL from our law firm can provide you with valuable guidance and fight on your behalf for compensation for what you have suffered. We can:
-File an insurance claim or a lawsuit on your behalf.
-Manage the deadlines of your case.
-Conduct phone calls, emails and other communications with the insurance carrier and the other parties that may be involved in the case.
-Protect your legal rights and safeguard you from the pressure of settling too soon and for far less than you should receive.
-Evaluate any offers to settle from the insurer and negotiate for an outcome that is the best possible in your case.
-Provide representation for you at a trial if necessary.
What Compensation Can a Car Accident Lawyer Elgin IL Help You Pursue?
Our knowledgeable and experienced lawyers can help in identifying and pursuing all the expenses related to your motor vehicle accident. These can include:
-Future healthcare and treatment needs. Depending on the extent and severity of the injuries, you might need long-term medical care, rehab, mobility assistance, medication and follow-up treatments. A Car Accident Lawyer Elgin IL can estimate the costs of those future needs and then help you receive a fair sum.
-Out-of-pocket expenses. A Car Accident Lawyer Elgin IL can seek to recover the costs of your doctor bills, which may include emergency room visits, stays in the hospital, medical procedures, therapy and more.
-Lost income. You can seek to gain back pay that was lost on account of your injuries. If they prevent you from returning to work, you may seek fair compensation for the loss of future earning capacities.
*Consult with a Car Accident Lawyer Elgin IL at 847-628-8311
-Miscellaneous costs. This can include household services that you are unable to perform due to your injury. For example, you may be unable to drive, do routine cleaning around your home or unable to provide proper care for your children. Costs might include medical trips, rehab equipment and modifications to your home.
-Damages to your vehicle. Through an injury claim, you may seek compensation to pay for repairing your car. If it’s totaled and beyond repairing, you could receive a fair sum for the market value of the vehicle. Additionally, you can seek to gain reimbursement for any rental vehicle fees.
-Pain and suffering. A Car Accident Lawyer Elgin IL can discuss the injuries you have sustained and the ways it is inconveniencing your day-to-day life while affecting your physical, mental and emotional wellness. Your lawyer can apply this information when determining a fair compensation amount for the pain and suffering you’re enduring.
This can in some cases include compensation for depression, chronic pain, post-traumatic stress disorder loss of mobility and loss of life enjoyment.
Wrongful Death Claims – Car Accident Lawyer Elgin IL
If you have a loved one who died as a result of a negligent or wrongful act in the state of Illinois, a wrongful death claim can help you win compensation for it.
An executor, who would serve as representative of the deceased person’s estate, could seek the compensation on the estate’s behalf as well as for surviving family members.
A Car Accident Lawyer Elgin IL can help assess if you are eligible for awards to pay for expenses due to your loved one’s injuries, the loss of their support financially and for your own pain and suffering.
Proving Liability for a Motor Vehicle Accident
The insurance industry does not make a practice of simply taking the word of motorists when it comes to paying injury claims. It’s up to you to prove that the insurer’s policyholder is the liable party and that you’ve suffered injury and financial loss due to that party’s actions. Examples of driving negligently include:
-Aggressive or reckless driving.
-Speeding.
-Drunk driving or driving under the influence of prescription medication.
-Following another vehicle too closely.
-Passing illegally.
-Traveling in the wrong lane.
-Texting while driving, improper usage of a cell phone.
-Improper turn.
-Failure to stop at a stop sign or traffic light.
-Failure to yield right of way.
A Car Accident Lawyer Elgin IL can efficiently collect and preserve relevant evidence that can be utilized to develop a case that shows negligence. Your lawyer can:
-Investigate the accident scene with assistance from accident reconstruction experts if necessary.
-Obtain records, receipts and hospital bills and other documentation that shows your accident-related costs.
-Find and interview parties who witnessed the accident in which you were injured.
-Consult with experts for information about the injuries you have.
-Locate and access available surveillance video, mobile device video or photographs of the crash.
A frequently asked question that many people have for their Car Accident Lawyer Elgin IL is “how much time do I have to pursue an injury claim?” Generally, it’s advisable for take action promptly rather than waiting. A long delay between a vehicle accident and filing a claim can result in the insurer alleging that your injuries aren’t related to the crash.
Another factor to consider is that it’s important to communicate with potential witnesses while the memory they have of the accident is still recent. Also, you will to note any details of the accident scene before they fade as time passes. A Car Accident Lawyer Elgin IL can help you to get started on an insurance claim right away.
If the insurance carrier denies the claim or does not propose an adequate, fair compensation, pursuing a lawsuit may be your next legal option. You have a two year limit from the date of an accident to file an injury lawsuit.
