Personal injury happens when someone is injured or harmed because of another’s negligence or risky behavior. The harm can be physical, financial, or emotional. For example, when someone is injured in a car accident involving a drunk driver, this is grounds for a personal injury claim. This is because every car driver has a duty of care. This is a legal principle under which an individual must avoid acts that could foreseeably cause harm to other people.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), unintentional injuries are the third-highest cause of death in the nation. There are roughly 24.8 million office visits each year for unintentional injuries and 97.9 million visits to the emergency room. These visits are made by individuals who have been injured due to an accident. Unintentional injuries have led to roughly 170,000 deaths every year. Under the law, there are three reasons why a personal injury claim can be made.
Negligence: This is the most common type of personal injury claim made. The liability stems from a person’s failure to act with a level of care that a reasonable person would perform under the same circumstances.
Strict liability: Under this action, the defendant is liable regardless of the person’s intent or mental state for the action committed. For example, when an individual is injured because of a defect in a product, the manufacturer is liable.
Intentional wrong: In this case, a personal injury case stems from the intentional act of another person. In some cases, these intentional wrongs can also lead to criminal charges, such as battery, false imprisonment, and assault.
Spiros Law, P.C. serves the needs of people who are injured in the Thomasboro, Illinois, area. Regardless of the situation, a qualified lawyer from our legal team can help protect your legal rights and help you receive compensation. Call us today at (217) 443-4343 for your free initial consultation.
What Is Personal Injury?
Personal injury law is also called tort law. Under these rules, an injured person is allowed to file a civil lawsuit to gain financial compensation for any losses that were sustained during an accident or incident.
After suffering harm from someone else’s negligent or intentional conduct, the law allows for damages to be awarded. There are a variety of situations in which personal injury rules apply. These include:
Accidents: These can occur when a person acts in a negligent or careless manner, and harm is caused to another person. Examples might include slip-and-fall accidents, medical malpractice, or car accidents.
Defamation: These are statements made by one person against another that may result in harm to a person’s personal or professional reputation. It can also include emotional distress or financial loss.
Intentional acts: When a person’s conduct intentionally causes harm to another person.
Defective products: Anytime a product is defective and harms the user, personal injury may result from product liability. This includes consumer products, cars, medical devices, or pharmaceutical products.
A variety of factors has affected the types of personal injury lawsuits that exist. For example, ride-sharing businesses have introduced new litigation issues and potential personal injury cases. Drones are another example of changing technology that has influenced personal injury claims.
Practice Areas
It is crucial that you hire an attorney who has experience working with the type of personal injury you’ve experienced. This increases your potential for a successful outcome in your claim. Spiros Law, P.C. has years of personal injury know-how in the following practice areas:
- Truck accidents
- Car accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Farming accidents
- Wrongful death
- Workers’ compensation
- Premises liability
- Product liability
- Dog bites
- Defective drugs and devices
- Nursing home abuse
- Sexual assault
- Medical malpractice
- Hunting accidents
- Construction accidents
Why Choose Spiros Law, P.C.?
Legal proceedings are often overwhelming and sometimes tedious. The personal injury lawyers at Spiros Law, P.C. will tenaciously fight to protect your rights. We are personally invested in your case and work hard to ensure that you receive the personalized care and attention that you deserve.
We understand that every personal injury story is unique. Our legal team gathers information from you about the accident, which helps to build the case to support your claim. We believe that negligent individuals or companies must be held accountable for their actions.
We have a unique, influential record in Illinois. Our legal team routinely receives referrals from other attorneys across the country based on our experience and track record. In total, the firm has won over $100 million in personal injury claims over the past ten years.
Without expert legal representation, you could be left further in debt with mounting medical expenses. The Thomasboro Illinois personal injury attorneys at Spiros Law, P.C. can help protect you. Contact us today at (217) 443-4343 for a free consultation.
What to Do After You’ve Been Injured
You can take specific steps after an injury that improve the potential for a successful claim against the negligent party. It is crucial that you get medical attention as soon as possible after the injury.
Even if you feel the injury does not warrant seeing a healthcare professional, a medical evaluation is necessary to protect your legal rights. In some cases, injuries can show up hours or days after an accident. Without a medical evaluation, it is difficult for the court to make a judgment about your physical injury.
It is also important that you follow any recommendations from your physician. This includes seeing a specialist, taking prescription medications, or undergoing rehabilitation. Following your doctor’s orders shows the court that you are committed to your health and wellness.
If possible, it is helpful to take photographs of the scene at the time of the accident. Try to capture as much detail as possible. This can include car license plates and witnesses. This can help your personal injury attorney to reconstruct the scene of the accident and help prove your claim.
The insurance company may send an adjuster to ask questions or to offer an initial settlement. It is important you do not speak with an insurance adjuster without your attorney present. Adjusters are skilled negotiators whose goal is to reduce the financial liability of their clients and protect their companies’ bottom lines.
Your attorney can help prevent you from accidentally saying something that negatively affects your case. While you’re waiting for the case to resolve, do not post pictures on social media. Insurance adjusters are adept at finding images and information that may indicate your injury is not as severe as you say it is.
Do You Need a Thomasboro Personal Injury Lawyer?
Injuries from accidents are not uncommon. If you’ve been injured or in an accident that wasn’t your fault, you likely have questions. The Thomasboro personal injury attorneys at Spiros Law, P.C. are here to help you get answers. Starting your insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit without an attorney can complicate the process as it progresses.
Personal injuries lawsuits must be filed within two years of the date of the accident. This means that the insurance claim must have been filed, and negotiations have failed to result in a resolution. Information and evidence must be gathered to prove your claim as well. Although two years may seem like a long time, this process may take every bit of two years.
Therefore, it’s important to speak with a personal injury attorney as soon as possible to determine if you have a case and what your next best steps should be. You don’t need to fight this battle on your own. You have been through enough with the physical and emotional repercussions of your injury. It is our job to fight for your rights using the resources of our team, including private investigators, associates, and legal nurse consultants.
Using our resources, we can do accident reconstruction, engage expert witnesses to testify on your behalf, and find witnesses to the accident. Our reputation of protecting the rights of our clients is built on a combination of decades of experience working with clients just like you.
Don’t let time get away from you. Call Spiros Law, P.C. at (217) 443-4343 right now so we can get to work on pursuing the compensation you deserve.
