Illinois Personal Injury Lawyers
Belleville Office
6400 W Main St Suite 10 Belleville, IL 62223
Table Of Contents
- Types of personal injury cases handled by NST Law
- Types of damages available in an Illinois personal injury case
- What if I’m partially at fault for the Illinois accident causes my injury?
- Time limits to file an Illinois personal injury lawsuit
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- Why should I hire NST Law to help with my personal injury case?
Types of personal injury cases handled by NST Law
Car Accidents
The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) saw a reduction in traffic accidents in 2020, primarily due to the pandemic and accompanying lockdowns. Still, the department received reports of 246,752 crashes involving motor vehicles last year. Injuries were apparent in 52,090 (21.1%) car accidents, and deaths occurred in 1,088 of these traffic accidents, accounting for less than 1% of the crashes. Speeding contributed to nearly half (44.9%) of all fatal accidents and over one-third (37.3%) of all crashes involving injuries.
Motorcycle Accidents
IDOT reported that 1.2% of all traffic crashes in 2020 involved a motorcycle, along with 4.2% of injury crashes and 14.1% of accidents resulting in at least one death.
Truck Accidents
Truck accidents can be devastating simply due to the sheer size and weight of commercial vehicles. In 2020, IDOT attributed 3.8% of all motor vehicle accidents to tractor-trailers, along with 3.1% of injury crashes and 9.7% of total crashes involving fatalities.
Wrongful Death
Losing your loved one without warning due to someone else’s negligence or wrongdoing can be a painful and seemingly unbearable experience. Trying to grief your unfathomable loss while also attempting to juggle the financial fallout can seem impossible. It’s important to hold negligent or reckless parties accountable for their actions resulting in someone’s death so that hopefully, no one else has to suffer the same harm from the same individual or other individuals performing in similar capacities. Also, you have a right to restore your family’s financial security and obtain some semblance of closure and justice.
Workers Compensation
Workplace accidents causing fatalities are rising in the U.S., with a 2% increase from 2018 to 2019. In 2019, Illinois had 158 deadly work injuries out of a nationwide total of 5,333. Per the raw data, the top three most dangerous professions for an Illinois worker are truck driver, construction worker, and miner. Transportation incidents accounted for 53 of the total 158 fatal work injuries in Illinois in 2019.
However, it’s important to note that there are three times as many professional drivers as there are police officers in the state, which could contribute to the higher percentage of deaths seen among truck drivers versus cops. Regardless, violence and other injuries by persons or animals accounted for 31 of the total 158 fatal Illinois work injuries in 2019.
Falls, slips, and trips was the third most frequent deadly work event, accounting for 26 fatalities in 2019. Nationally, the order slightly differs with falls, slips, and trips coming in second after transportation incidents (still ranking first accounting for 40% of all fatal work injuries), and violence and other injuries by persons or animals ranking third.
Types of damages available in an Illinois personal injury case
Injured parties in Illinois can receive compensatory damages for their harm and losses resulting from the negligence or recklessness of others. These damages include both economic and non-economic damages per state law.
Economic damages are all tangible or monetary damages, such as:
Non-economic damages are intangible losses that have a somewhat more subjective or varying value, including:
Punitive damages are another category of damages saved for situations where the defendant’s actions were egregious. These damages intend to punish the defendant for particularly reprehensible conduct rather than compensate the injured person. Punitive damages are not available in medical malpractice cases in Illinois.
Illinois doesn’t place caps or maximum recovery amounts on damages awarded in personal injury lawsuits.
The personal injury attorneys at NST Law can help calculate the worth of your injury claim and ensure that your demand for compensation includes all available types of recoverable damages. In cases involving severe injuries, it’s important to recover the full amount of available damages so that you can pay for your past, current, and future medical care without fear of financial fallout. A comprehensive damages assessment is critical to determine whether any settlement offers you receive are fair and adequate.
What if I'm partially at fault for the Illinois accident causes my injury?
The court will assess the extent of your responsibility to determine if you can recover damages using the comparative fault rule. Under Illinois law, you cannot receive compensation if your share of the blame is more than 50%. If your percentage of liability is less than 50%, the court can reduce your damages in proportion to the amount of fault attributed to you.
The following examples help to illustrate how the comparative fault rule works in practice:
- You were in a T-bone car accident with the defendant and suffered $100,000 in damages. You were speeding at the time of the accident, and the court determined you were 10% at fault. Because your actions were less than 50% of the proximate cause of the accident and your resulting injuries or losses, you can receive compensation, but the court can reduce the amount you can collect by 10%. If your total award is $100,000, you could receive $90,000.
- You slipped and fell at a local business and suffered $50,000 in damages. You neglected to consider the sign that stated, “Wet Floor. Proceed with Caution.” The judge determines that the business owner could have placed more prominent signage but that your failure to observe the existing signage makes you 70% responsible for the fall. You will receive no recovery for your damages because you are more than 50% at fault.
Never admit fault regardless of what blame you think you share with the defendant. Speak with an attorney who can appropriately consider the facts of your case and determine what percentage of fault you might be liable for. The personal injury attorneys at NST Law will work with you to assess your potential fault and uncover any evidence of liability that the defendant might try to use against you as a part of their defense.
Time limits to file an Illinois personal injury lawsuit
There are limitations on the duration of time you have to file a personal injury case called statutes of limitations. Missing these legally binding deadlines could potentially bar you from recovering compensation for your losses, so you should have a plan of action that includes seeking legal advice as soon as possible after an injury.
Illinois’s statute of limitations for personal injury cases is generally two years from the date of the accident. There may be different statutes of limitations for specific types of claims, and there are some exceptions that allow you to file after the time limit has passed. Still, you should never count on these exceptions before a lawyer reviews your case and advises you on the applicable laws.
The personal injury lawyers at NST Law can inform you of the requisite time restraints pertaining to your case and prepare a strategy that ensures you meet all relevant deadlines.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Why should I hire NST Law to help with my personal injury case?
We also take pride in giving back to our communities to help improve the lives of those in need in and out of the courtroom.
Contact our firm in Belleville, Illinois today for a free consultation to discuss the details of your personal injury accident case.
By submitting your information, you consent to receive SMS messages, texts, email communication, calls, and/or prerecorded messages from Nahon, Saharovich & Trotz, PLC. Message & Data rates may apply. By submitting this form, you agree to our Terms and acknowledge our Privacy Policy.