Personal Injury

Personal injury involves injury to an individual. If you were injury, you can sue in a private action called a civil action, otherwise known as a tort. Any accident or injury can constitute a tort – whether it's in a car accident, through the use of a product, or in the negligence of a professional. Some of these specific areas of personal injury are discussed more fully below.

For general personal injury, different degrees of fault exist and several elements are necessary to prove in court. Sometimes more than one person or party is at fault and financial and legal responsibility is portioned among all of the wrongdoers. In other instances, even the victim may be partly at fault, but that does not mean they do not have a right to bring a lawsuit. They will simply consider the injured persons conduct as a percentage of the liability against the party being sued – for example, maybe you were driving your car a little over the speed limit when someone hit you, so the jury considers you 20% at fault and the other party 80% at fault.

If you are successful, you can recover a number of damages: medical bills, lost income, future medical bills and care, and other economic damages that you have. Other damages may be more difficult to quantify, but are nevertheless very real: pain and suffering, disfigurement, and loss of consortium. Keep in mind that generally in Illinois you must file any such claim for these damages within two years. The exact timing of the statute can vary, and it is important to see an attorney to determine the applicable time limit for your case.