Personal injuries may lead to serious and permanent health problems, not to mention steep financial costs. When such an injury is the fault of someone else, the situation is often even more frustrating, especially if it involves paying bills for damages you did nothing to cause.
If you are injured due to the negligent or malicious actions of someone else, your best option may be to contact a Wheaton personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. With help from an experienced personal injury attorney, you and your family could work toward a resolution that could end with you receiving compensation for your losses and expenses. En Español.
Types of Damages
There are two types of damages that are recognized by civil courts in Wheaton, Illinois. Economic damages are the more straightforward and objective of the two, often coming with clear-cut price tags attached to them. Examples of economic damages include medical bills, both current and future lost wages, and the cost of travel to medical facilities.
Non-economic damages, on the other hand, are more subjective in nature and do not come with clear values or prices attached to them. They may include intangible losses like pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment in life, inability to engage in a hobby due to the injury, and similar issues. One way in which a Wheaton personal injury attorney could help clients is by bringing expert witnesses into the case to help assign appropriate and fair values to non-economic damages.
What if an Accident Victim is Partially at Fault?
The delineation of fault in Wheaton personal injury cases is based on a modified comparative fault method. This means that the overall responsibility for an injury may be split to some degree between the plaintiff and the defendant. Following that, the percentage of fault apportioned to the plaintiff would be subtracted from the total compensation that plaintiff could receive.
For instance, if an injured person was found to be 10 percent at fault for the events that led to their injury, their net compensation would be 90 percent of their total damage award. So, if that compensation was initially valued at $100,000, they would receive $90,000 as a final award instead.
The Statute of Limitations for Personal Injury Cases
One of the most important issues to bear in mind regarding personal injury claims is the statute of limitations. This is the deadline by which a personal injury claim must be filed.
In Illinois, the statute of limitations for civil injury cases is two years. This means that the claim must be filed within two years of the incident, or the injured person could risk losing their right to bring a claim to court and receive compensation for that particular accident.
Speak with a Wheaton Personal Injury Attorney Today
An experienced Wheaton personal injury lawyer could help you and your family in a number of ways. Not only could they use their experience in the courtroom to argue passionately on your behalf in civil court, but they may also be able to bring in important witnesses and subject matter experts to bolster your case. They could also help her navigate the often-complex legal system and ensure that all necessary paperwork is filed within the appropriate time-frames.
If you were injured due to the actions or negligence of someone else, do not hesitate to contact a personal injury attorney in Wheaton who could examine all the aspects of your case and provide guidance throughout any ensuing pursuit of compensation. Call today to schedule your initial consultation.