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Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer

Nobody wakes up in the morning expecting to be involved in a car accident that may cause them significant injury and financial loss. Yet, this is exactly what happens to millions of Americans every year.

Statistics indicate that Americans suffer an average of 6 million car accidents per year, which cause a median financial loss of $230.6 billion every year. Even worse, these accidents lead, directly or indirectly, to just over 3 million deaths per year and millions more find themselves needing critical medical care for various kinds of severe injuries.

Car accidents are tough and traumatizing experiences when they occur, and they are almost always unexpected. But the good news is you do not have to suffer through another person’s negligence or endure financial loss because of a car accident. Illinois car accident laws require negligent drivers and their insurance companies to pay fair compensation to their innocent victims.

At Uche P.C., our legal team is composed of some of the most successful car accident attorneys in Chicago. We understand the stress and disappointment of a Chicago car accident and the financial havoc it can wreak. Our skilled attorneys have worked tirelessly on behalf of hundreds of aggrieved drivers in Chicago to find and hold responsible negligent drivers and other culpable individuals.

We know how the car accident laws work and can put this knowledge to work in pursuing and recovering maximum compensation for your loss. As former prosecutors, we have the forensic ability to navigate through the complexities of car accident cases. We have recovered huge verdicts and settlements running into millions on behalf of our clients.

If you or a loved one have been injured in a Chicago car accident, call our experienced car accident lawyers in Chicago today. We offer free initial consultations and will not collect a dime unless we recover money for you. Call us at (312) 380.5341 to discuss your case today.

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The law on car accidents in Illinois

Under Illinois law, every person who is injured in a car accident due to the reckless or negligent actions of another person has a right to sue. The person can file a lawsuit directly against whoever caused the accident, and even their employer, if they were working at the time.

You are entitled to drive, commute or bike to work without fear of danger on the road, and where you are unnecessarily exposed to danger, you have the right to sue. You may recover damages for the hurt caused to you, and also for the value of your financial loss stemming from the accident.

If your loved one was hurt in a car accident and died as a result, Illinois law also gives you a right of action under the Wrongful Death Act. Surviving family members may file a lawsuit and recover compensation for the sorrow, grief, loss of financial support and companionship caused by the accident.

Being in a car accident is a difficult experience, and the car accident lawyers at Uche P.C. understand what you may be going through. We will fight for you and your family and recover fair compensation that gives you closure.

Car crash statistics in Illinois

Car accidents happen far too often in Chicago and Illinois. According to a 2017 data from the Illinois Department of Transportation (“IDOT”), there were 311,679 car crashes on state roads and highways in the state. More than 93,000 people were injured in these accidents and 1,090 people lost their lives as a result.

This means there were just over 853 accidents per day in Illinois, over the course of the year. The figures for 2018 were even worse, showing 319,146 car crashes over the course of the year, roughly 874 accidents every day.

There are several factors that contribute to the high incidence of car accidents in the state, including:

Drunk driving:

From IDOT figures, about 1 in 3 accidents involve alcohol, and this can lead to serious crashes. Often, the person or establishment who supplied alcohol to the person who caused the accident may be held accountable.

Distracted driving:

Using a phone, trying to hold a conversation with someone in a rear seat, eating or trying to multitask can all lead to distracted driving. Distracted driving affects reaction time, and can lead to serious accidents.

Speeding:

IDOT reports that about a third of accidents are caused by people driving above the speed limit. When a driver goes too fast, they lose control of their vehicle as well as their ability to react quickly. This can lead to catastrophic collisions.

Product defects:

In some cases, the car accident could be caused by a defective automotive part such as brakes, steering or tires. In other cases, the failure of certain defective safety features, such as a seatbelt or airbag may lead to a serious accident and injury.

Highway construction defects:

Unannounced maintenance activity or construction on a busy road, misplacement of equipment or road markers can all lead to serious accidents. In these cases, the government agency or contractor carrying out the road maintenance activity or construction may be held responsible.

All of these situations contribute to car accidents in Chicago in their own way, and as you will see, they can introduce complex questions about who should ultimately be responsible for the accident. One of the first things your Chicago car accident attorney will do is listen carefully to your story and identify those who may be responsible.

The high cost of car accidents

Apart from the human toll that car accidents take, they can be very costly for the victims and their families. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that accidents in the US result in a yearly cost of $413.8 billion dollars, including loss of lives and productivity.

IDOT also reports that these accidents lead to an average cost of $1,479,670 in fatal crashes. Car crashes that lead to injury which may prevent a victim from continuing normal life activities after the accident cost about $72,580 on average and property damage crashes lead to loss of just over $9,000 on average.

Most of these costs accrue due to the loss of wages from an inability to work immediately after an accident, medical expenses (both present and future), as well as property loss. There can also be significant out-of-pocket expenses, including the cost of securing assistance with home chores, alternative transportation and adjustments to diet or life options.

In more serious accidents, a car crash can cause injuries that permanently alter the life of their victim. These injuries may lead to loss of limbs or significantly reduced functionality in limbs that makes it impossible for the victim to conduct normal life and employment activities.

All of these outcomes can leave you feeling helpless, especially when the bills start piling up in the aftermath of an accident. But you do not have to worry. Our Chicago car accident attorneys at Uche P.C. know the high cost of car accidents and will do everything in their power to recover the maximum financial compensation your case deserves.

We also provide several options for our car accident clients for assistance with medical bills and out-of-pocket expenses before a recovery is made. Speak to our attorneys to understand how we assist our clients during this difficult time.

Steps to take after a car accident

After a car accident, it is important to understand how to proceed. Depending on what you do in the immediate aftermath of the accident, you may lay a solid foundation for your claim, or damage it irreparably. Our Chicago car crash lawyers explain these important steps to take after an accident:

Remain at the scene and call for help:

It is a crime to leave the scene of a car accident, especially where injury or property damage has occurred. Remain at the scene and call emergency services for help.

Obtain medical assistance:

As soon as emergency services arrive, let yourself be looked over thoroughly by the paramedics. This will be important for early documentation of your injuries, and also to ensure you are not seriously injured. If you are seriously injured, follow the instructions of the medics.

Do not admit fault:

Do not make any statements that either minimize your injuries or admit fault for the accident. These statements are called “admissions against interest” and they can severely harm your case.

Exchange information:

If you are able, or while waiting for the paramedics, exchange information with the other driver and others at the scene. You should obtain their personal details and insurance information.

Record the scene:

It always helps to have video footage or pictures of the scene of the accident. This can provide early clues into what went wrong and who is at fault for the accident. Also speak to witnesses at the scene and collect their personal information for future contact.

Do not dispose of evidence:

It is crucial to remember this. Do not attempt to repair your car until an attorney has had the chance to look at it. The insurance loss adjuster will also want to look over the vehicle, in order to estimate your property loss.

Write down all you can remember:

As soon as you can, write down everything you can remember from the accident while the details are fresh. This way, you are less likely to forget important parts of your story.

Contact your insurer:

Inform your insurer about the accident, but keep the interaction short. Do not speculate on what might have caused the accident or who was responsible. Only relate the facts as you saw them and leave it at that.

One of the most important steps you can take in the immediate aftermath of the accident is to speak with an experienced car accident attorney. Getting an attorney involved at this stage significantly increases your chances of a positive outcome as they can get to work on your case immediately.

As you will learn in the next section, insurance companies are very interested when car accidents occur, since they will most likely be required to foot the bill. Since they are profit-oriented companies, they want to do everything possible to limit their exposure. They will be working hard to do this from the moment you report the accident to them, and this is why you should also have someone working hard on your side.

How to recover compensation in a car accident claim

Most car accident claims require the aggrieved person to show the other driver was at fault in the accident. Proving fault is crucial to showing that you were not responsible for the accident and deserve to be compensated for your loss.

Showing who was at fault will also be critical to establishing who should pay you compensation for the accident. Here’s how fault is usually established in these cases:

Duty of care:

You will be required to show that the at-fault party owed you a duty of care. This may vary depending on who you allege to be at fault. If the accident was caused solely by another driver, they owe you a duty to drive carefully on the road. If the accident was due to a defective product, the manufacturer owes a duty to produce goods that are safe.

Breach of duty:

You will be required to show how the duty of care was breached. Failing to drive safely or producing defective goods will amount to a breach of the duty of care.

Proximate cause injury:

Finally, it will be necessary to show that you suffered harm due to the breach of duty by the at-fault party. This is satisfied by showing that you would not have been injured if the other party did not breach their duty.

Who can you recover compensation from?

Even when you are certain of who is responsible for your injury, your attorney will still need to determine your best route to recovering compensation. There are several options you may be able to explore here:

This will be your first course of action if the other party has insurance. However, recovering compensation from an insurance company can often be difficult since they want to pay you as little as possible, or nothing at all if they can manage. Your attorney will aggressively and thoroughly fight for you to ensure you are not cheated by the insurance company.

If the at-fault party was uninsured or if their insurance coverage limits cannot cover your loss, you may need to turn to your own insurer. But this can only be the case where you have uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage.

You may be able to file a lawsuit for compensation against the at-fault party for the balance of your loss, if they do not have sufficient insurance, or for the whole loss, if they do not have insurance at all.

Determining how to recover compensation can be tricky. But you can rely on our skilled Chicago car accident lawyers to find the best means of compensation for you and recover all you are owed.

What kind of compensation can you recover?

There are several types of compensation you may recover after proving your car accident case. The goal of compensation in these cases is to make you whole, and reimburse you for all you have lost. You may be able to recover compensation for:

R

Cost of medical treatment, present and future

R

Lost wages

R

Out of pocket expenses

R

Emotional distress

R

Pain and suffering

DISCUSS YOUR CASE

Let an experienced Chicago car accident lawyer help you.

Statistics indicate that car accident victims who work with a skilled car accident attorney recover more in damages than those who are unrepresented. When you get in touch with our skilled Chicago car accident lawyers, we will listen carefully to your story, investigate your accident and consult with the best experts possible to help you recover maximum compensation.

We offer free consultations and work on a contingency basis. This means we will not collect a dime from you unless we recover money in your case. We have helped hundreds of other people like you find those responsible for their accidents and recover fair compensation. We can do the same for you.

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Practice Areas

Beyond focusing on nursing home abuse cases, our firm also focuses on other forms of personal injury such as:

Car Accident -

Truck Accidents -

Birth Injury -

Police Brutality -

Personal Injury -

Medical Malpractice -

Wrongful Convictions -

Call us immediately at: (312) 380.5341, if you or your loved one has suffered any injury as a result of a motor accident!

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Nenye E. Uche

President, Uche P.C.

A former prosecutor, Attorney Uche is a nationally recognized trial lawyer who provides high-powered representation to victims of personal injury at no cost unless he wins.