This page was written and legally reviewed by Horwitz, Horwitz & Associates‘ team of Illinois Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyers.

Being injured is frustrating enough, but what about when someone else is to blame? If another person caused the incident that led to your injury, you must understand that you have legal options and the right to pursue compensation.

Horwitz, Horwitz & Associates is ready to help. We have years of experience helping people in similar situations and promise that our legal experts will do everything possible to help you obtain the maximum compensation you deserve. To schedule your free consultation with a skilled Aurora personal injury lawyer, contact us online or call (800) 985-1819 today.

Aurora personal injury lawyer

Our personal injury practice areas

With years of experience, our firm specializes in aiding clients with many types of personal injury cases. Some of these practice areas are:

How much does it cost to hire a personal injury lawyer in Aurora?

At Horwitz, Horwitz & Associates, you won’t pay us anything out-of-pocket for your consultation or when you first hire us. You won’t pay unless we win your case. Our payment is a percentage of your settlement or damages award, so you don’t suffer a loss by hiring the best personal injury attorney in Aurora.

What should I do after being hurt?

If you remember these simple steps, you can protect your health, case, and rights.

 

1. Find a safe place away from the source of injury

Your safety is always the priority. If you were in a car or truck accident and you can move your vehicle to a safe location off the road, do so as quickly as possible. Get the vehicle to the shoulder of the road and away from any oncoming traffic.

If you were in another incident, such as a construction accident, get as far away from any potential danger (electricity panel, machine, etc.) as possible and wait for help.

 

2. Perform a self-evaluation

Check to see how badly you’re hurt. Can you move your limbs? Are you bleeding? Can you breathe normally? 

It’s essential to be honest with yourself. Don’t try to “tough it out” because you don’t want to admit you’re hurt. Denying the existence of your injury or its severity can be extremely dangerous and might prevent you from getting the medical attention you need.

Adrenaline and shock can mask the symptoms of some serious injuries, so you should proceed with caution and get evaluated by emergency personnel and a doctor.

 

3. Call 911 and ask for an ambulance and the police

If possible, check the condition of anyone else who may have been hurt. Even if it doesn’t seem that there are any significant injuries to you or anyone else, call 911 immediately. 

The 911 dispatcher will send emergency medical personnel, such as paramedics, firefighters, and law enforcement; as with your self-evaluation, do not deny or downplay any injuries or reject medical care or treatment at the accident scene.

After you’ve been evaluated, inform the police officer what happened. The police report from their investigation will be vital to your case as it’s their educated opinion of what happened in the accident and who was at fault.

It’s essential to be truthful and not embellish your statement. If you are unsure of something, tell the officer. If necessary, you can supplement your statement later. 

 

4. Take notes and photos of the scene

Photos and videos will also be critical to your case. Suppose you can safely use your phone to take pictures and videos of the scene and the surroundings. In the case of a car crash or truck accident, pay special attention to the road. In the case of a construction injury, take photos of the immediate work area. Wherever the incident occurred, pay special attention to traffic lights, caution signs, or lack thereof.

For instance, if you were injured in a slip-and-fall accident, take photos and videos of the hazard that caused you to fall and the immediate surrounding area to show the lack of signage.

 

5. Collect witness contact information

There is a good chance that a few people saw the accident as it occurred, and their testimony could be critical to your case. Get their names, email addresses, and phone numbers, but don’t worry about interviewing them – that’s a job for your attorney.

 

6. Keep a written or digital record of your experience in the minutes, hours, and days after the accident

The more detailed your notes, the better your chances of getting the money you have coming. Remember as many details as possible — write them down or make a voice memo on your phone.

Take time-stamped photos of your injuries so you can send them to your lawyer. These pictures will record the severity of your injuries and may defeat the insurance efforts to argue that you’re not as badly hurt as you’re trying to get everyone to believe.

 

7. Visit your primary care physician or specialist

Let the medical personnel who arrive at the scene transport you to the emergency room so you can undergo a thorough examination. Visit the doctor even if you think you’re fine. Many injuries won’t show symptoms for hours or even days, but the damage they cause without immediate intervention might be irreparable.

 

8. Speak with an Aurora personal injury lawyer

Once you’ve received the medical help you need, including immediate follow-up care, contact a personal injury attorney in Aurora as soon as possible. Time is of the essence because your attorney needs to launch their investigation as soon after the accident as possible. If you hire a lawyer immediately, relevant evidence could disappear forever, seriously damaging your case. 

How long do I have to file a claim?

You may not want to do anything except stay at home and recover from your injury, so calling an attorney keeps getting put on the tomorrow list. While both things are understandable, time isn’t on your side because you only have a limited amount of time to take legal action, which is called the statute of limitations.

The statute of limitations in Illinois is two years from the accident date. If you do not file your claim within that deadline, you will be responsible for all of your accident-related expenses and will not be eligible to file a claim.

aurora personal injury attorney

What kinds of damages may I be able to claim?

The compensation you receive in a personal injury claim is called “damages.” The purpose of these damages is to “make you whole” and to put you in as close of a position as possible to the one you’d be in had you not been injured in an accident. Your damages award covers your injury-related expenses and financial losses in economic and non-economic damages.

 

Economic damages

These are often considered tangible because they are easily proven with medical bills, invoices, receipts, pay stubs, and more. These cover things like:

  • The medical expenses incurred immediately after the accident
  • Necessary follow-up care, treatment, or rehabilitation
  • Medications or supplements
  • Medical care or treatment you in the future for your injuries
  • Wages or benefits you lost during recovery
  • You are expected to lose future benefits or wages, including bonuses and promotions if your injuries prevent you from working in the same capacity from returning to work.

 

Non-economic damages

Non-economic damages require the expertise of a skilled lawyer to prove and collect because they are objective. There are no receipts to turn to for pain and suffering, emotional trauma, mental anguish, and many others.

The trauma you may experience is valid and legitimate, and you should be rightly compensated for it. Don’t lose out on the compensation you deserve simply because you didn’t require legal representation.

 

How do I find the right Aurora personal injury lawyer for my needs?

To find the right attorney for your needs, it’s a good idea to speak with someone you know who has recently worked with a personal injury lawyer in Aurora. If possible, see what others say about the attorneys you are considering online. You can also check the Illinois State Bar Association for information on attorneys’ credentials and their standing with the State Bar.

Speak with at least three lawyers to determine whether you can work with them, then choose the one you believe is best equipped and most experienced to handle your case.

 

We’ll fight the insurance company to get you total compensation.

The highly skilled personal injury attorneys with Horwitz, Horwitz & Associates, know how to defeat the games and tactics many insurance companies employ. After all, insurers only have one goal – to make as much profit as possible, so they will fight to deny you the compensation you deserve.

They’ll try to blame you and trick you into saying something damaging to your case. To defeat this formidable opposition, you’ll need an attorney working on your behalf.

 

Who’s responsible for my injury? How do you prove liability?

Several parties could be responsible for the accident. For example, if you were injured on a construction site, several parties, including the subcontractor, general contractor, and potentially the property owner, could be responsible.

A skilled Aurora personal injury lawyer will identify and help hold all responsible parties accountable.

 

How our attorneys prove liability

Hiring an inexperienced lawyer because they were cheaper could cost you everything. Their mistakes, such as failing to prove one of the required elements of negligence, could cause you to lose the entire case. We use our extensive investigation into your case to ensure that every element and damage is proven with irrefutable evidence.

For example, to successfully prove negligence, at minimum, your attorney must prove:

  1. The liable party owed you a specific duty of care,
  2. They breached or failed that duty,
  3. Their breach was the direct cause of the accident,
  4. You suffered injuries or financial losses due to your breach of duty.

Proving those four elements might seem simple, but ensuring that you have ample evidence that can be disproven requires the skill of a knowledgeable and reputable Illinois personal injury attorney.

 

What is the personal injury lawsuit process?

A personal injury case starts with a consultation. After you hire a lawyer, they’ll immediately investigate the incident by obtaining copies of your medical records and police reports, interviewing witnesses, and possibly even visiting the scene. They’ll then contact the at-fault insurance company and demand compensation on your behalf.

Most of these settle outside court by negotiating a fair and reasonable settlement. Still, if the at-fault paparty’snsurer fails to make an equitable offer, your Illinois personal injury attorneys at Horwitz, Horwitz & Associates will be ready to take them to court to help you get the money you deserve.

 

Ready to get the compensation you deserve? Call an Aurora personal injury lawyer today.

No other law firm provides more passionate and skilled representation than us. We have a long track record of helping clients obtain maximum compensation and are ready to do the same for you.

If you would like a free review of your case or would like to learn more about how we may be able to help, such as options that are only available to you through an attorney, please get in touch with us online or call (800) 985-1819 to get in touch with an Aurora personal injury lawyer.

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