Inverness Personal Injury Attorney

Every year, thousands of Illinois residents are injured in accidents caused by someone else’s negligence. Fortunately, those who are injured in these kinds of accidents can hold the at-fault parties responsible by filing a personal injury claim against them in court, so if you were injured in a car crash, were bitten by a dog, or were a cyclist involved in a collision with a motorist, it is critical to speak with an experienced personal injury attorney who can help you get started on filing your own claim.

Types of Personal Injury Lawsuits

Individuals are not the only ones whose negligent or reckless conduct results in serious accidents. For example, many manufacturers put consumers at risk by failing to warn them of the dangers of using a certain product or by using inferior materials during production. Fortunately, injured parties can also hold companies accountable in court by seeking compensation for their losses. Although defective consumer products do cause hundreds of serious injuries every year, most personal injury claims are based on the following types of accidents:

• Car crashes;
• Commercial vehicle accidents, including spilled cargo;
• Animal attacks and dog bites;
• Bicycle accidents between cyclists and motorists;
• Slip and fall accidents, which occur when a property owner fails to warn visitors of hidden dangers or does not use reasonable care to keep the premises hazard free;
• Medical malpractice, such as surgical errors or misdiagnosis; and
• Collisions between pedestrians and motorists.

Although injured parties can collect damages after being involved in these types of accidents, they can only do so if they are able to prove that the negligence or recklessness of another party contributed to or caused their injuries.

Demonstrating Fault

To prove that another party’s negligence was the cause of their accident, plaintiffs must be able to demonstrate that:

• The defendant owed them a duty to use ordinary care;
• The defendant breached that duty; and
• The breach resulted in their injury.

For example, all drivers are required to comply with traffic laws and to operate their vehicles in a reasonable manner, so a driver who was looking at his or her phone and failed to see the car in front of them beginning to brake can be held liable for injuries resulting from a subsequent collision. Fortunately, even when injured parties contribute in some way to their own accidents they can often recover a portion of their losses. This is because Illinois is a modified comparative fault state, which means that plaintiffs who contribute to their own accidents are not barred from collecting damages, although the amount that they can recover will be reduced by their own degree of fault, unless they are more than 50 percent responsible, in which case they will be prohibited from collecting damages.

Call Today to Discuss Your Case with a Dedicated Inverness Personal Injury Attorney

If you were recently injured in an accident that was not your fault, please call SAM LAW OFFICE LLC at 847-255-9925 to speak with an experienced attorney who can evaluate your case. Initial consultations are conducted free of charge.