Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer
If you suffered an injury due to someone else’s negligence, you have the right to seek compensation for your losses. A Chicago personal injury lawyer can thoroughly evaluate your case and assess your legal options.
- What Types of Cases Do Personal Injury Attorneys Handle?
- How Do I Prove Fault in My Chicago Personal Injury Case?
- What if I’m Partially at Fault for My Injury?
- How Long Do I Have to File a Personal Injury Case in Chicago?
- Exceptions to Illinois’ Statutes of Limitations for Personal Injury Claims
- How Can a Personal Injury Lawyer Help Me?
- What Compensation Am I Entitled to After Being Involved in a Personal Injury?
- Does Illinois Have Caps on the Amount of Damages Received?
- How Can the Chicago Personal Injury Attorneys at Levin & Perconti Help With My Claim?
- Testimonials
Personal injury lawyers intend to hold the at-fault party responsible for the losses and damages incurred. The injured person often files a claim with the responsible party’s insurance company to recover damages, including lost income, medical costs, and emotional distress or pain and suffering. If the insurance company offers a low settlement or tries to deny the claim altogether, a personal injury attorney can appeal the denial, negotiate a more fair payout, or file a lawsuit to pursue maximum compensation.
Our personal injury attorneys have over 200 years of combined experience in representing thousands of people throughout Illinois. Don’t try and navigate this difficult time alone. The legal team at Levin & Perconti is standing by to provide you a free case evaluation if you think you may have a case. Contact us today by calling (312) 332-2872 or visiting our contact page.
What Types of Cases Do Personal Injury Attorneys Handle?
At Levin & Perconti, our personal injury attorneys in Chicago, IL share a commitment to helping those harmed by the negligent, careless, or wrongful actions of others. We handle all types of personal injury litigation for clients in the Chicago area and throughout the state of Illinois.
If you’ve suffered losses or an injury after an accident or incident in one of the following categories, we want to review your case to decide how we can best help you:
- Chicago Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect
- Chicago Birth Injures
- Chicago Brain Injures
- Chicago Medical Malpractice
- Chicago Car Accidents
- Chicago Truck Accidents
- Chicago Motorcycle Accidents
- Chicago Bicycle Accidents
- Chicago Premises Liability
- Chicago Product Liability
- Chicago Work-Related Injuries
- Chicago Sexual Abuse and Assault
- Chicago Construction Accidents
- Chicago Slip and Fall Accidents
- Chicago Wrongful Death
- Chicago Mass Shootings
How Do I Prove Fault in My Chicago Personal Injury Case?
According to Chicago’s Code of Civil Procedure at 735 ILCS 5/2-1116, a person can be at fault for any action or omission that’s negligent, reckless, willful, or wanton.
To assert a personal injury claim in Illinois, you must establish fault, meaning you must meet the burden of proof or “preponderance of the evidence” in a personal injury case before the burden to rebut the claims shifts to the defendant. In short, you have to prove the following elements:
- Duty: The defendant owed you a duty of care or had a responsibility to you.
- Breach: The defendant breached their duty or failed to act reasonably.
- Injuries: The defendant’s breach was the actual cause of your injuries.
- Losses: You suffered a loss due to your injuries, whether economic or non-economic.
What if I’m Partially at Fault for My Injury?
Illinois follows a “modified comparative negligence” rule as a viable legal defense to determine assignable fault or shared responsibility in personal injury cases. Under this rule, you cannot recover compensation for their damages if the court decides you’re more than 50% responsible for the accident resulting in their injury. However, if your shared liability is less than 50%, the court will assign you a percentage of responsibility or fault, and your compensation is reduced by the same.
Do not ever admit fault after an accident or incident causing injuries or losses. Even if you believe you’re at fault, it’s always best to speak with an attorney before taking any action or deciding not to act. A Chicago personal injury lawyer can help assess your percentage of responsibility and determine your legal options and how to proceed for the best possible outcome.
How Long Do I Have to File a Personal Injury Case in Chicago?
There are various considerations that determine the statute of limitations for filing a lawsuit. If you’ve been injured, we encourage you to contact a Chicago personal injury attorney as soon as you can so they can help you meet the relevant deadlines.
The statute of limitations for a personal injury claim in Illinois is two years.
The two-year limit for personal injury claims runs from the date of the accident or the discovery of the injury or from the date the injured person should’ve reasonably made its discovery. For wrongful death cases, the two-year limit begins to run on the date of the person’s death.
In Illinois, a medical malpractice lawsuit must generally be filed within two years of the date that the claimant discovered or should have reasonably discovered their injury. However, all medical malpractice actions must be brought no later than four years from the date on which the medical malpractice occurred—even if the victim was not aware of the malpractice until more than four years later. If the victim is a minor, the statute of limitations is generally longer.
Exceptions to Illinois' Statutes of Limitations for Personal Injury Claims
There are certain exceptions to the normal Illinois statute of limitation laws. These include:
- In medical malpractice cases, if the victim is under 18, the statute of limitations allows for filings up to eight years from the medical treatment date, However, a lawsuit cannot be filed later than the individual’s 22nd birthday for the claim to be valid.
- If a person has a legal disability at the time of their injury, the statute of limitations pauses until the removal of the disability. This same pause applies if the person suffers a legal disability after the date of the incident but not before the statute of limitations expires.
- In medical malpractice cases involving fraudulent concealment, injured patients have up to five years to file a claim if the health care provider liable for the injury attempts to hide or cover up the negligence causing the harm.
How Can a Personal Injury Lawyer Help Me?
A personal injury lawyer can help prepare your court case to maximize compensation. They’ll collect the available evidence on your behalf, work closely with expert witnesses, and ultimately prepare a compelling legal argument supported by the facts to help convince the insurance company or jury that you deserve compensation for your damages.
Don’t take our word for it. Many of our clients have shared their satisfaction, like this personal injury client, who left an online review;
I have never been involved in litigation before so it was a new experience. Due to the sensitive nature of the case at times the process was frustrating, but the legal team of Jaime Koziol and Danielle Downey treated us with compassion and understanding. They worked hard to ensure we received the best possible outcome. We appreciate the quality service provided. -Cheryl Hunter, Google
At Levin & Perconti, we recognize that accidents and injuries often happen due to preventable negligence. That’s why we’ve worked hard to develop a solid legal strategy to help victims recover maximum compensation for their damages, striving to make our clients whole again and deter future negligence or wrongdoing on the defendant’s part.
Our track record in handling personal injury cases is reflective of our loyalty to our clients. Several of our recent successes include:
$17.7 million
Settlement
against a Chicago hospital in a medical malpractice lawsuit filed after a former police officer suffered a severe brain injury due to the negligence of the nursing staff
$14 million
Verdict
against a doctor and hospital for ignoring abnormal chest x-rays and thereby, substantially delaying a diagnosis of lung cancer in the patient
$10 million
Settlement
for a 5-year-old who lost a leg and half of his pelvis after being run over by a City of Chicago Fire Department truck
$6 million
Settlement
for the families of six children who passed away in an apartment fire—the children were not able to vacate the building quickly because the landlord had not installed working smoke detectors in direct violation of the Chicago Municipal Code
$4.1 million
Verdict
for an 85-year-old woman who suffered injury at a nursing home due to the mismanagement of medications
$6.5 million
Settlement
for a young girl who suffered a brain injury during birth, resulting in cerebral palsy, after physicians failed to timely perform a c-section.
What Compensation Am I Entitled to After Being Involved in a Personal Injury?
According to 735 ILCS 5/2-1115.2, injury victims are eligible to receive both economic and non-economic damages in a personal injury case. Monetary damages are actual, measurable financial losses you’ve incurred because of your injuries. Non-economic damages are types of harm, such as pain and suffering, that don’t have a specific dollar amount assigned to them.
Economic damages include:
- Past and future medical bills (including follow-up doctor’s office visits, diagnostic tests, prescription medication, physical therapy, mobility aids, surgeries, etc.)
- Mental health treatment costs (includes expenses to treat PTSD, anxiety, depression, or any other mental health condition stemming from your injury)
- Lost wages
- Future lost earning capacity
- Property damage
- Household services
Non-economic damages include:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Humiliation and reputation damage
- Disfigurement or disability
In addition to the above damages, personal injury victims can sometimes seek punitive damages. These damages are awarded by a court of law not to compensate injured plaintiffs but to punish defendants whose conduct is considered grossly negligent or intentional. However, punitive damages do not always apply in medical malpractice cases
Section 35.01 of the Illinois Civil Duty Instructions outlines the circumstances in which a jury can award punitive damages. An example includes drunk driving. In such a case, the defendant could have made a conscious decision not to engage in egregious or knowingly harmful behavior. Additionally, organizations, such as nursing homes, pharmaceutical companies, and manufacturers for various products can be held accountable for failing to ensure the safety of residents and consumers, putting profits over people.
Does Illinois Have Caps on the Amount of Damages Received?
Illinois currently doesn’t have any laws setting damage caps on personal injury compensation. In 2005, Illinois did set a limit on non-economic damages. However, the Illinois Supreme Court overturned that law in 2010, ruling that it was unconstitutional. The Court further ruled that decisions regarding any damages should be the purview of judges and juries.
How Can the Chicago Personal Injury Attorneys at Levin & Perconti Help With My Claim?
Filing a personal injury claim or lawsuit in Chicago may seem daunting at first. However, the personal injury attorneys at Levin & Perconti have a combined 200+ years of robust experience and have recovered nearly a billion dollars in verdicts and settlements. We strive to achieve the best possible outcome for each of our clients in every case we handle. If you have questions about Levin & Perconti or want to learn more about our firm and a potential lawsuit, we can help.
Contact Levin & Perconti to schedule a free consultation today to learn more about how we can help you.
Testimonials
Not only were they so professional but also so caring and thoughtful. It was very difficult going over the facts in our mother's case but they were so compassionate and understanding and allowed us to be with them every step of the way. We were able to sit in on the depositions and we were really able to see how hard they worked on our behalf.
During that time, my family and I suffered the loss of my mother. Mr. Levin and Mr. Perconti were more than just our lawyers. Words can’t really express our gratitude.
They were most patient and responded timely to many questions throughout the entire process. All demonstrated professionalism and extensive knowledge of case and state laws. Their in-depth investigative work uncovered details which were unknown to us and yet sadly confirmed our suspicions. We would recommend the Levin and Perconti Law firm and especially this team.
During that time, my family and I suffered the loss of my mother. Mr. Levin and Mr. Peconti were more than just our lawyers. Words can’t really express our gratitude. My family and I will always be grateful for the compassion that they showed us. I want to thank you for what you did for my family, and for always being there for us.
Margaret’s representation, guidance, and professionalism gave us the sense that we could put our trust in Levin & Perconti and the final outcome proved that to be true.
Legally Reviewed by
Jaime Koziol Delaney
Contact Us
- Free Consultation
- (312) 332-2872
"*" indicates required fields
Notable Results
VERDICT
on behalf of an 85-year-old woman injured in a nursing home when her medications were mismanaged.
SETTLEMENT
for the family of a 32-year-old woman who was killed when their pick-up truck was rear-ended by a semi-truck.
Settlement
settlement to the family of a baby who suffered permanent brain damage as a result of a doctor’s negligence.
Our Office
325 N LaSalle Dr Suite 300
Chicago, IL 60654
312-332-2872
