Car accidents are, unfortunately, daily occurrences in America. Thankfully, most of them are minor and do not have lasting consequences. However, some car accidents cause serious injuries and even death. Many injuries can affect victims for years to come, or even for the rest of their lives.
With these injuries often comes extreme stress, physical and emotional pain, and possibly thousands or even millions of dollars in medical bills. Fortunately, a Bolingbrook car accident lawyer could help you sort through the mess of a car accident and provide you with strong representation if you choose to seek recovery for your damages. En Español.
Causes of Car Accidents
While some car accidents are simply unavoidable, others could have been prevented were it not for the negligence of another person. In Bolingbrook, the party responsible for a car accident could be held responsible for injuries and other damages they caused in civil court.
Common situations and actions that may indicate the fault in a car accident case include:
- Eating while driving
- Cell phone use while driving
- Being distracted by something or someone in their vehicle
- Running a red light
- Ignoring yield or other road signage
- Drinking and driving
- Driving under the influence of drugs or chemicals
Car Accident Injury Compensation
The purpose of a car accident claim is to have the responsible parties—or their auto insurance company—pay for the plaintiff’s damages. More specifically, the personal injury civil court system as a whole is designed to bring accident victims back to the financial state they were in prior to their accident as much as possible.
However, compensation in a Bolingbrook car accident case is not based solely on the cost of medical bills or other financial expenses for property damage or lost wages. Depending on the circumstances, it may also include other components like pain and suffering and emotional and mental trauma. A Bolingbrook car accident attorney could further explain what types of compensation each individual client may be entitled to by law.
Comparative Fault
Under 735 Illinois Compiled Statutes 5/2-1116, the state of Illinois follows the doctrine of modified comparative fault in all personal injury cases. In practice, this means if a plaintiff is found to bear some degree of responsibility for their own accident, their percentage of fault may be taken into account in order to determine the amount of compensation you will receive.
For example, if someone is hit by a driver running a red light but they were not properly restrained at the time of the accident, they could be assigned a certain percentage of fault for their injuries. That percentage would then be deducted from the value of whatever damage award they ultimately received.
Talk to a Bolingbrook Car Accident Attorney Today
The aftermath of a car accident can be very stressful, especially if it leads to serious injury. You may have medical bills to deal with and insurance companies that want to talk to you, all while you are trying to heal physically and emotionally from your injuries.
Fortunately, you do not have to manage the legal stresses that often follow a car accident alone. Our Bolingbrook car accident attorneys have years of experience in settling car accident cases and access to many medical and legal resources they could use to back up your case.
A Bolingbrook car accident lawyer who is well-versed in the civil court process may be able to put you at ease by letting you know what to expect every step of the way. Call us today to put our legal team to work for you.