Most people, especially in America, if they are breathing, have come across advertisements for personal injury lawyers. Maybe you’ve seen a “one call, that’s all” motif, or a giant name on the backstop at a televised baseball game. Billboard, television ads, PI lawyers are everywhere. You have to have seen them.
But what exactly is personal injury law, and how does it relate to you?
Cars, Trips, and Such
In the barest terms, personal injury law, known to law nerds as “tort law,” involves some basic principles.
- Someone or some entity owes a duty of reasonable care to you
- That person or entity breaches that duty by either doing something negligent (not reasonable) or failing to do something that was reasonable
- As a result of that breach, you are injured physically
- That injury is causally connected to that entity’s negligence/breach of duty
Sounds simple, right?
It’s not. That’s why I went to law school for three years and have spent over thirty-five years practicing law. It can be nuanced.
For example, if someone rear-ends your vehicle and you are injured, it’s a slam dunk case, right?
What if the driver who hit you claims you stopped suddenly? Not so easy now, is it? Especially when you remember that if you fail to prove the other party was fifty percent or more responsible for your injuries, you lose.
Or, what if you slip at your local grocery store and hurt yourself? Whether you have a claim depends on a lot of things, such as how long the substance was there, who put it there, whether the substance was there long enough that the store reasonably should have been aware of it, whether you could have/should have seen it, and a few dozen other narrowly interpreted issues.
And let’s not even get into personal injury claims for falls due to snow and ice. That’ll make your head hurt.
What Do You Need to Do?
If you do get injured, get medical treatment as soon as possible to document what happened.
Report the incident. This might mean making an incident report to management in the store where you fell, making a police report, making a report to your insurer, or a combination of those, depending on the circumstances.
Photograph or take a video of the scene, the defect, the vehicles, your injuries, whatever you see that looks like evidence. A picture is worth a thousand words.
Contact a lawyer. We’re free for consultations. We do not charge you to hear what happened to you. In fact, personal injury lawyers famously charge on a contingency fee basis; that means you only pay a percentage of your settlement or verdict (usually a straight one-third) when and if you collect. And we advance all costs of litigation.
So if you aren’t sure if someone can be at fault for your injury, call me and I’ll evaluate everything for you. The sooner you call, the easier it usually is for me to gather evidence to support your claim. If I don’t think I can win your case, I won’t take it. If I do, I take the risk, and all you have to do is get medical treatment until you’re healed and not worry about it.
Why Call Me Instead of Someone Else?
How am I different from the billboard, television, national firms?
I care. I answer my own phone. I take every call. I handle every case myself. So if you have a case, you get to know me, from start to finish. Larger firms may have a variety of people, often newer associates and paralegals, handling files. If you have a question, the person who answers your call may or may not be familiar with the details of your matter. When I represent you, you know I will be on the other end of the phone when you call, and that I will be able to give you an answer right away, or find out the answer quickly and get back to you.
Then there’s the reality that different law firms have different business models. While this isn’t universally the case, large PI firms often have a “high volume” business model. In other words, it’s more profitable for the firm to take a high volume of cases, and settle them as quickly as possible, than to take fewer cases and take the time to get every dime possible for each client. If what you want is a quick settlement, that business model might suit your needs, too. But if you’re worried about your health and your finances and want to make sure you recover as much as possible, you might want to work with an attorney who takes fewer cases and works them diligently.
Last but not least, I have done this for so long, I actually can guide you along both on what’s happening in your case, but also what might be happening physically with your injuries, since I’ve seen so many similar injuries.
Yeah, it’s that simple. Get hurt, document, report, call a lawyer. I’ll take it from there.
Takeaways
- Injury law involves four basic elements—duty, breach, injury, and causation
- Document everything and seek medical attention
- Report it
- Let me take it from there
Contact Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Stephen Hoffman
If you have been injured, whether by an auto accident, bike or pedestrian crash, dog bite, work accident, or medical malpractice, seek medical attention immediately. Report accidents to the police and your own insurance company, or to your employer if you were injured at work. Then contact a lawyer with experience in your type of injury matter.
If you have been in an accident and have questions, contact Chicago personal injury attorney Stephen L. Hoffman for a free consultation at (773) 944-9737. Stephen has over 30 years of legal experience and gets results; he has collected millions of dollars for his satisfied clients. He is listed as a SuperLawyer, has a 10.0 rating on Avvo, and is BBB A+ accredited. Stephen is also an Executive Level Member of the Lincoln Square Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce.
Stephen handles injury cases on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay nothing up front, and Stephen only gets paid if you do. You have only a limited time to file a claim, so don’t wait another day; contact Stephen now to get started putting your life back together.