You do not necessarily need a lawyer to settle a car accident case in Chicago. After all, insurance companies often offer settlements to accident victims—and many of those victims accept the offer without ever speaking with an attorney. That said, you may not get a fair car accident settlement. If you hire a Chicago car accident lawyer, they will ensure you only accept an offer that pays you fairly.
Attorneys provide several benefits. Having a lawyer will ensure nobody violates your rights. Your attorney will also enable you to rest rather than deal with the demands of an insurance claim (or a lawsuit if you choose to sue). A lawyer also brings valuable experience and resources to your case, which may contribute to your desired outcome.
Why Many Car Accident Victims in Chicago (and Elsewhere) Trust Lawyers to Fight for Them
It does not matter whether your car accident happened in Riverdale, North Park, Westlawn, Hyde Park, or anywhere else throughout the city. If you were in a car accident in Chicago, let an attorney fight for your full and fair financial recovery.
When you hire a car accident lawyer who regularly represents Chicagoans (and visitors injured while in the city), you know that:
- Your law firm will fund your case: Your law firm should help you cover medical bills, pay filing fees, cover expert fees, and handle all the other financial burdens that come with your case. This financial support—which the law firm can justify by winning a financial recovery—comes with no strings attached.
- Your legal team will waste no time documenting your accident: If your law firm handles cases in Chicago regularly, your lawyer will know their way around the city. Whether your accident happened near the University of Chicago, Wrigley Field, or anywhere else in the city, your attorney will immediately gather evidence, interview witnesses, and move your case forward.
- Your attorney can sue if you choose to: While most auto accident victims can reach a settlement eventually, many settlements come only after the accident victim files a lawsuit. Some car accident cases don’t settle—instead, a judge or jury decides the case outcome in court. If you hire a Chicago auto accident attorney, you can sue and go to trial if you elect to.
- Your recovery can be your sole focus: Car accidents can cause brain injuries, broken bones, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and other serious health problems. Recovery can be a full-time undertaking. Let a lawyer handle your case so you can give your health the attention it requires.
Choosing not to hire a lawyer can be detrimental to your health. If you are left to handle both your claim and your recovery process, you might find that both suffer.
Insurers Can’t Both (or Take Advantage of) You Once You Hire an Attorney
The City of Chicago is drowning in a constant flurry of traffic accidents. Too many accident victims are lost in the shuffle, with insurance companies treating them like a number and offering as little compensation as they can get away with.
When you hire a car accident lawyer, you’re choosing not to be taken advantage of by insurers—or anyone else involved in your case. From lowball settlements to claim delays, your lawyer will combat all bad-faith strategies by insurance companies.
The Weight of Your Case Will Be Far Lighter Once You Hire Your Attorney
The moment your lawyer officially takes over your case, you may feel a wave of relief come over you. You may spare yourself many hours of work, untold stress, and other challenges by letting a car accident attorney represent you.
Your lawyer will handle many responsibilities for you, and as a client, your few responsibilities will be:
Remaining in Contact with Your Legal Team (They Will Be in Touch)
Your attorney will need to reach out to you to:
- Provide regular updates about how the case is unfolding
- Review any settlement offers with you
- Discuss any strategy changes (like a potential lawsuit)
- Monitor your mental and physical recovery
Expect your car accident lawyer to contact you regularly. You should also contact your legal team if you have questions or want a case update.
Trusting Your Doctors
Insurance companies and other liable parties may look for any signs that:
- Your injuries are not as severe as you have stated
- You are not taking your recovery seriously (as this can indicate you’re not deserving of compensation for certain losses, like the cost of medical care)
- You are not doing everything possible to recover as soon as you can
You can undercut these accusations by following your doctor’s treatment plan.
Saying “Call My Lawyer” If Insurance Companies Ever Contact You
Once you hire your attorney, your case becomes their domain. Therefore, if an insurance company contacts you, it’s your duty to refer the insurance representative to your attorney. By delegating the claims process to your lawyer, you will:
- Avoid saying or doing something that undermines your claim
- Avoid unnecessary stress (most people do not enjoy dealing with insurers)
- Allow your lawyer total control of your case, which may allow them to complete that case as soon as possible
Insurance companies are not your friends. Let your lawyer deal with them.
A Car Accident Lawyer Will Begin Building Your Case From the Moment You Hire Them
Your Chicago car accident attorney will waste no time in composing your case. The steps your lawyer will likely take to resolve your case are:
Determining Why Your Accident Happened
About 90 percent of fatal traffic accidents in Chicago involve a motorist who was being reckless at the time of the collision. However, collisions can also result from:
- Potholes, defective traffic lights, and other hazardous road conditions
- Defective vehicles
- Pedestrians who enter the roadway dangerously
- Hazardous weather conditions
Your lawyer will review all witness accounts, videos, police reports, and other evidence related to your accident. They will determine (and prove) who caused your accident—and who owes you money for your damages.
Documenting Injuries, Medical Treatment, Pain and Suffering, and Other Damages
Your lawyer needs to tell the story of how a car accident has upended your life. Documentation that can show the toll of your accident may include:
- Medical records, including your doctors’ precise diagnoses of your injuries
- Any medical images showing your accident-related injuries
- Bank statements that show a dropoff in income following the accident
- A mental health professional’s evaluation of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and all other accident-related pain and suffering
Your attorney will give liable parties no choice but to recognize the harm you’ve experienced.
Leading Settlement Talks on Your Behalf
Armed with documentation of your losses and a precise, detailed calculation of your damages, your lawyer will request a fair settlement—actually, they’ll demand it.
The value of a fair settlement can depend on:
- The type and number of injuries you suffered during the car accident
- Whether any of your injuries are disabling
- Whether your vehicle is totaled (or, if not, how severe the vehicle damage was)
- How you were affected psychologically and emotionally by the accident (and resulting injuries)
Your attorney will consult experts and confirm the accuracy of their settlement calculations. Then, they will present demands and resume negotiations if necessary.
Helping You Evaluate Any Settlement Offers from Insurers
Insurance companies often offer settlements for car accident victims. The problem is that the settlement offers are not always fair. The lowball offer is one way that insurance companies try to minimize their losses, and your lawyer will:
- Notify you immediately after a settlement offer comes in
- Review the details of the offer with you
- Compare the details of the offer to the details of your losses
- Explain whether they believe the offer is fair
You are the one who’s been affected by the car accident. Accordingly, you will decide whether to accept a settlement offer or urge your lawyer to keep fighting. Your attorney will help you make these decisions.
Filing a Lawsuit in a Chicago Court, If You Elect to Do So
Insurance companies may extend multiple settlement offers. If none of those offers cover your losses, you may decide to sue. If so, your lawyer will file the lawsuit in a Chicago court before the statute of limitations expires.
Some lawsuits proceed to trial, while others end with a settlement. Your lawyer will continue seeking a fair settlement, but they will also prepare for trial. This kind of preparation is one of the hallmarks of successful Chicago car accident attorneys.
Making Your Case at Trial
If you sue and your case goes to trial, your attorney will:
- File the case right away
- Complete pre-trial proceedings, which may include motions hearings, depositions, and other processes
- Create a personalized trial strategy
- Making opening arguments
- Presenting and questioning favorable witnesses
- Cross-examining the opposing sides’ witnesses
- Making closing arguments
Your lawyer’s experience will be hugely beneficial if your case goes to trial. Car accident trials are unpredictable, high-pressure affairs, and a lawyer’s trial history is something to consider when hiring an attorney.
Insurance Companies Don’t Always Treat Claimants Ethically
Allstate, State Farm, GEICO, and many other auto insurance companies serve drivers based in Chicago—and out-of-town drivers who operate in the Windy City. These insurance companies:
- Are, in many cases, worth billions of dollars
- Are motivated to increase their revenues and minimize their losses year over year
- Employ workers who are keenly aware that the goal is to minimize losses
These motivations and the insurance industry’s competitive nature can lead insurers to act unethically toward car accident victims. Some of the bad-faith tactics a lawyer can overcome on your behalf include:
- Accusing you of causing the car accident in Chicago
- Denying your claim
- Claiming that you are exaggerating your injuries, receiving unnecessary treatment, or fabricating symptoms
- Undercutting the value of your case
- Issuing a lowball settlement and refusing to negotiate
Insurance companies often issue lowball offers—and why not? Many unsuspecting claimants accept these offers, assuming that the insurance company has to operate ethically. Your lawyer will notify you of any lowball offers and urge you to reject such offers and continue negotiating for a better deal.
Damages Your Lawyer Will Likely Seek Compensation For
Some vehicles collide head-on, while others involve one vehicle striking another in the rear. There are countless ways for accidents to happen, and speeds, impact points, and other variables make each collision unique.
Because each accident happens in a different way, it follows that every accident victim has different health problems, financial losses, and damages. Even so, attorneys often represent clients who experience:
Debilitating Pain and Suffering
“Pain and suffering” is a familiar phrase among personal injury lawyers, who always account for the non-economic cost of car accidents. Some types of pain and suffering include:
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Lost quality of life
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Acute and chronic pain
Your lawyer will consult a qualified mental health expert to document and value your pain and suffering.
Medical Bills They Can’t Afford
Even if you can afford to pay accident-related medical bills, you should not have to. When someone causes an accident, that person or their insurer must pay for the victim’s medical care—from ambulance transport to emergency care and all other healthcare services.
Severe Professional Harm
Car accidents often lead to professional losses, which can include:
- Diminished earning capacity
- Lost income
- Lost opportunities for performance-related pay (like bonuses)
- Missed career opportunities
Many Chicagoans live paycheck to paycheck (or somewhere close), and these kinds of professional disruptions can be financially devastating.
Costly Property Damage
Vehicle damage can cost thousands of dollars. If critical vehicle components are damaged or your vehicle is beyond repair, your property costs will be especially high.
Hire Your Chicago Car Accident Lawyer as Soon as Possible
Allow an attorney to survey the harm a negligent driver or other liable party has caused you. Attorneys serve every injured Chicagoan, and there is no upfront or out-of-pocket to hire a car accident lawyer.
You can find a Chicago personal injury attorney through recommendations, online, and through local advertisements. Don’t wait to start your search, as your case is a pressing matter subject to various deadlines.
David Abels
Partner
David Abels has carved a niche for himself in the personal injury law sector, dedicating a substantial part of his career since 1997 to representing victims of various accidents. With a law practice that spans over two decades, his expertise has been consistently recognized within the legal community.
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