Chicago Personal Injury Attorney Services

Chicago Personal Injury A…

Illinois personal injury law involves cases where a person is injured due to the negligent, willful, or intentional acts of another person. While it is true that accidents happen, negligence should not. The legal system in the United States imposes a duty of care on every individual to act reasonably. Occasionally, however, we make mistakes, either by doing things that a reasonable person would not have done or by failing to do things that a reasonable person would have done. In unfortunate situations, people get hurt.

Strict Liability

A particular area of personal injury law, known as strict liability, holds an individual liable to the party harmed without a showing of fault or negligence. For example, if a demolition company is using explosives near a school, and they unintentionally blow up the school, it stands to reason that this “inherently dangerous” activity should be punished in some way without having to prove that the demolition company did anything negligent.

Know Your Rights

When we breach the duty of care and someone is harmed, we can be held liable for money damages to the person injured by our negligence. Not every injury is worthy of legal action however. If you are injured, you need to understand your rights before deciding whether or not to “do something about it.” Knowing what your options are and whether or not you have a case are both factors that should go into your decision as to whether to seek legal redress.

An experienced personal injury lawyer who is well-versed in the specifics of this area of the law can help evaluate these factors and determine what compensation to which you may be entitled. Compensation can be for the medical bills incurred, medical expenses that reasonably may be incurred in the future, lost income, disfigurement, disability, and loss of a normal life, among other things.

Examples of Personal Injury

Personal injury law encompasses a broad range of areas, from common scenarios, such as automobile accidents and dog bites, to exceptional situations like nursing home negligence or abuse. Chicago, Illinois, personal injury attorney Stephen Hoffman is skilled at representing clients in a vast array of personal injury cases, including:

What you should know if you have been injured in Illinois:

  • If you are injured and believe it was the result of someone’s negligence, contact an experienced Illinois personal injury attorney to discuss your case.
  • Even if you are not sure if you “have a case,” make certain to contact a lawyer before doing anything else.
  • People will often commit various errors that can end their eligibility for compensation simply by talking about their injury to the wrong people. A statement to an insurance company should never be given before you have spoken with a lawyer. Likewise, nothing about the incident should be posted to social media.
  • A lawyer can evaluate any specific time limitations on when a case must be filed in court in order to recover.
  • This area of the law is almost always governed by contingency fee arrangements, where the lawyer is only paid a percentage of the recovery if you win. In other words, everyone has access to the court system, and there is no fee unless money is recovered for you.

If you or a loved one is suffering from serious personal injuries, contact the Law Office of Stephen L. Hoffman as soon as possible to evaluate your options and rights to recovery.

Motor Vehicle Accidents

Motor Vehicle Accidents

Motor Vehicle Accidents Chicago Motor Vehicle Accident Attorney Services Automobiles and other means of transportation are the chief causes of personal injury today. Moreover, resulting injuries are often severe, leaving par… Read More

Bicycle Accidents

As a cyclist myself, I experience firsthand things both cyclists and motorists do on the road. While many countries, and even some cities in the U.S., are known to be bike-friendly, there seems to be… Read More

Common Car Accident Causes and Injuries

When most people think of “personal injury,” usually the first scenario they envision is an automobile crash. That is the most common type of personal injury case. Better Cars — More Inj… Read More

What Should You Do if You Are in a Car Accident?

If you are involved in an auto crash, these are the things you must do immediately: Make a report of the crash with police, either at the scene or at the police station as soon as possible after the c… Read More

Illinois Car Accidents: How Much Auto Insurance Coverage Do You Need?

After a car accident in Illinois, legally your case is nominally against the at-fault driver, or “tortfeasor.” But in reality, it is against his insurance carrier. Thus, it is absolutely e… Read More

Insurance Claims and Lawsuits After an Illinois Auto Accident

Collecting damages in a motor vehicle personal injury case begins with an insurance claim. Generally, unless there is some type of insurance coverage involved (the other driver’s, yours, or a co… Read More

Car Accidents Involving Pedestrians

Similar to bike-motor vehicle collisions, pedestrians are often at high risk of getting struck by cars. Pedestrians are smaller than cars, not as easy to see, and drivers are often distracted. Illinoi… Read More

Truck Crashes

Trucks are heavily regulated by the government, both the state of Illinois and the federal government. Despite this, truck drivers are under constant pressure to deliver loads to their destination as… Read More
Premises Liability

Premises Liability

Premises Liability Injuries can happen anywhere. Premises liability deals with those instances when individuals are injured on someone else’s property. If you are injured on another’s property, injuries may give ris… Read More
Medical Malpractice

Medical Malpractice

Medical Malpractice One area of personal injury law that has gained particular notoriety is medical malpractice. The law in Illinois filters out any questionable cases in this area. Unless the medical professional made a… Read More

Illinois Medical Malpractice Lawsuits

How Do I File a Lawsuit Against a Doctor for Malpractice? Medical negligence and medical malpractice lawsuits are governed in Illinois by the Healing Arts Malpractice Act. Generally, when a doctor, su… Read More
Products Liability

Products Liability

Products Liability Whenever a dangerous or defective product causes a personal injury, it is usually considered a products liability case. These can involve cars with defective brake pedals, air bags that fail to deploy… Read More
Dog Bites

Dog Bites

Dog Bites Dog bites, and other injuries caused by domestic animals in Illinois, are controlled by both ordinary negligence law and by the Illinois Animal Control Act. The relevant part of the Animal Control Act… Read More