Rockford Personal Injury Lawyer

You’ll face many challenges after a personal injury. But the most difficult struggle may be winning the compensation you deserve. To make it easier, leave that in the hands of a Rockford injury lawyer.  

Pain, emotional trauma, exhaustion, stress, and financial trouble usually come after injuries. For many injury victims, these struggles feel insurmountable. And that’s without the added difficulty of building, filing, and fighting for a personal injury claim in Rockford, Illinois.

Unfortunately, you’ll likely need to file a successful personal injury claim to get compensation accounting for all your losses. After all, the negligent party and insurer aren’t going to hand over your compensation just because you ask for it.

During this difficult process, you may need a Rockford personal injury lawyer to back you up. The lawyers at Mahoney & Mahoney, LLC are ready to lend you their experience and knowledge. We’re more than prepared to take on—and win—your claim.

Abide by the Statute of Limitations for Personal Injury

If you have decided to move forward with a personal injury claim, it is critical that we file as soon as possible. In Illinois, you only have two years to file. That starts from the date of the accident or from the date you were diagnosed with an injury directly caused by the accident.

This time is cut in half to just one year if we are going to need to sue a government-operated entity, such as a local road authority.

That may seem like plenty of time to gather evidence, establish fault, negotiate with the insurance company, and calculate the value of your claim. But the truth is it takes time to do those things. Two years can pass by quickly when your days are full of therapy, healthcare, and other recovery activities.

If we don’t bring your claim within this two-year time limit, you’ll be barred from recovering your losses.

Evidence for Your Personal Injury Claim

After a serious injury in Rockford, it’s key to seek out evidence that benefits your case. That evidence can take many forms, and each piece of evidence can change the course of your claim.

Visual evidence is an important part of evidence collection. Photos of injuries, property damage, skid marks, or other damage can be a key part of proving your injuries and demonstrating who caused the accident. Video evidence may have even captured your injuries on film, which can make a big difference in your claim.

You may also have documents, medical records, and other evidence that shows the progression of your damages and the road to recovery. You may need to prove that your condition worsened over time, for example, or that your recovery has varied over time. This can be vital to get compensated fairly for your damages.

There are many steps to take to win your claim. One of the most important is proving negligent action on the part of the liable party. We can do this by gathering evidence the at-fault party’s decisions directly caused your accident and injuries.

Some of the best evidence includes:

• photos and videos of the incident
• witness statements
• expert opinions on the details of the case
• police reports
• manufacturer safety inspection reports
• medical documentation of your injuries

We’ll use this evidence to prove the accident’s impact on your life and to prove the defendant was negligent. For instance, the average safe driver knows better than to text and drive. So if you were in a car accident caused by a driver who was texting and driving, they should be held accountable.

Unsure what evidence is available to you? Talk to your lawyer about physical evidence, evidence documenting your accident, and forms of testimony that can help you recover.

Eyewitness Testimony

During an accident, there may have been other people present who witnessed your accident. If you were injured in a Rockford car accident, other drivers may have seen the accident. Your coworkers may have witnessed a car accident. Your loved ones may have noticed a decline in your health after a defective drug made you ill. All these testimonies can count as eyewitness testimony.

Eyewitness testimony is a form of evidence coming from other people who saw the accident or otherwise witnessed your condition. These testimonies can be key to supporting your claim and getting the compensation you’re due.

If you need witnesses on your side, your lawyer can help you get in touch with the right people and make the best use of your resources. Your lawyer can contact those who may have witnessed your injuries but weren’t injured and suing for themselves. Your lawyer can also determine the best way to use those witness testimonies for your claim. Reach out for guidance if you’re struggling to make the most of eyewitness testimony.

Expert Witnesses

When you’re hurt in Rockford, there isn’t always someone around to see your accident. You may have been seriously injured, but no one else can verify how you were injured and who injured you. In these cases, you may need an expert witness on call.

Expert witnesses are highly-educated experts in their fields who provide specific guidance that’s relevant to your claim. These experts provide detailed information about your crash that you may have otherwise been unable to determine.

For example, if no one witnessed a car accident or multiple vehicles are involved in the accident, it may be difficult to determine who’s at fault for your injuries. When this happens, an accident reconstruction expert may be called in to create a simulation of how the accident happened, revealing the at-fault party.

But an expert witness can also be someone close to you and the incident. For example, your doctor’s opinion on your health and recovery counts as an expert witness. Likewise, the police report that details the accident and who’s responsible can be used as expert testimony. These resources can be invaluable to your case, so reach out for help making the most use of them.

Documenting Your Rockford Personal Injury

A good starting point for your Rockford personal injury claim will be identifying and documenting all of your physical injuries. You’ll need to note how they have and will continue to affect your life.

To build you a comprehensive claim, your lawyer will ask you all about your injuries. They’ll also speak with experts and your doctors to learn how long you’ll need to recover.

The following are some of the common types of serious injuries we see in Rockford:

• Spine and back injuries, which may include paralysis
• Head and brain trauma, such as concussions
• Severe burns
• Internal bleeding
• Fractured, broken, and crushed bones
• Neck injuries like whiplash
• Lost limbs
• Damage to internal organs

When you discuss your injuries with your personal injury lawyer in Rockford, don’t leave anything out. Even if that pain in your wrist seems like nothing, tell your lawyer about it and have your doctor take a look. You deserve compensation for every injury you have suffered at someone else’s hands—no matter how small it seems.

Who’s Responsible for Your Personal Injury?

Your injuries might have occurred at Rock Cut State Park, near the Anderson Japanese Gardens, on the highway heading back into town, or inside your own home. The truth is that it doesn’t really matter where in Rockford your injuries struck you.

What does matter is how your injuries happened. That will help your lawyer identify everyone who should be held financially accountable. Here are some common accident types, as well as some possible responsible parties:

• Car Crashes – These are some of the most common injury-causing events in Rockford. Various parties could be to blame. In car accidents, bus wrecks, and motorcycle accidents, other drivers, parts manufacturers, and government agencies responsible for road safety could be held responsible. Meanwhile, accidents involving commercial trucks may implicate truckers, trucking companies, or those who loaded the truck’s cargo.
• Workplace Injuries – On average, the construction industry is one of the most dangerous work sectors in Illinois. Workers compensation covers most workplace accidents. But certain circumstances could call for additional compensation for losses that aren’t recoverable from your workers comp benefits. These can be sought in a Rockford personal injury claim against your employer or a third party.
• Premises Liability Incidents – These are accidents on other people’s property. If you slip on a slick floor at a Rockford grocery store, you might name the store owner in your claim. If you’re bitten by a dog, you might name the dog owner.
• Defective Product Accidents – Malfunctioning brakes, exploding home appliances, tainted medications, and toxic foods are all examples of defective products. Hurt by a product when using it correctly? You may be eligible for compensation from the product’s manufacturer or others in the product’s chain of distribution.
• Nursing Home Abuse – Those who abuse or neglect the elderly should be held accountable in both criminal and civil court. Has your elderly loved one suffered nursing home abuse in Rockford? You could sue the assisted living facility, an individual caregiver, or a third party operating in the facility.

In some cases, there are multiple at-fault parties. They’ll all listed in your claim in order to maximize what you can win. Your qualified Rockford personal injury claim lawyer will be sure to hold each at-fault party accountable. You can focus on your recovery without an added financial burden.

What If I Was Involved in a Single-Person Accident?
When you’re hurt by another person’s negligence, it’s not always obvious who’s at fault for your injuries. The at-fault party may not have even been present at the scene, but that doesn’t mean they weren’t at fault for your injuries.
For example, you may have been injured in a single-vehicle car accident. When this happens, you may think you’re the only one who could have been at fault, but it’s not that simple. You may have been injured because your brakes failed, which may be the fault of the manufacturer or a careless repair technician. In other cases, the road itself may have been unsafe.
Even if no one else was present for your injuries, speak with a lawyer about your options. While the at-fault party may not be clear to you, your lawyer can take action and help you determine the person at fault for your suffering when you’re hurt.

Criminal Trials vs. Civil Lawsuits

Not all injuries are accidents. In some cases, you may have been injured by a malicious party who intended to cause you harm, or you may have been injured in the course of another party breaking the law. When someone breaks the law, they may be subjected to a criminal trial. However, that doesn’t mean your problems are handled.

Criminal charges are handled in criminal court, which decides whether the person is guilty of the charges brought forward and what penalties to lay on them. This may include jail time, fines, and a criminal record. However, it doesn’t include the compensation you need for your recovery.

That’s because the criminal court and civil litigation are separate branches, handling separate claim types. While the criminal court is meant to punish wrongdoers, the civil court provides compensation for those injured by negligence. That means, even if the at-fault party has faced a criminal trial for their actions, you may still be eligible to sue them for the injuries they caused.

In fact, even an unsuccessful criminal case can help your lawsuit succeed. That’s because civil cases require a lower threshold of evidence. You don’t have to prove they committed a crime, after all. You only have to prove they injured you. If you file a claim before the criminal trial, your claim will have to wait for this trial to conclude, but your time limits won’t run out during this time.

Because of this, you and your lawyer can use the evidence from the civil court in your favor. Talk to your attorney about your options for compensation and seek help when you’re hurt, even if the person has been arrested or tried for their actions.

Insurance Company Tactics and Your Personal Injury Claim

So that’s how we’ll establish the cause of your accident and who is responsible. We’ll then begin negotiating with the liable party’s insurance company to secure the settlement you deserve. In many cases, liable parties in injury claims are covered by an insurance policy. This is common with auto and homeowners insurance.

Unfortunately, getting paid by an insurer is never as easy as it seem. That’s especially true when an insurer prioritizes profit over claimants’ well-being.

Insurance adjusters sometimes issue denials to even the most deserving claimants. When an insurer pays out on a claim, it loses money. In a for-profit industry, that isn’t in the insurer’s best interests.

Some have even gone so far as to manipulate statements given to them by injury victims. If the insurer can place additional fault on you, it can settle for less than what you’d otherwise deserve. You have Illinois’ modified comparative negligence laws to thank for that.

At Mahoney & Mahoney, LLC, we have little patience for dishonest strategies by insurance companies that only care about profits. When we have to negotiate with an insurer, you can expect your personal injury lawyer in Rockford to settle for nothing less than what you are entitled to. We are more than ready to bring the insurer to court if needed.

What Will My Insurer Do After an Accident?

After you’re injured, your insurance company may be your first line of defense to get the compensation you’re due for your injuries and your recovery. However, trusting them right away can lead to difficulties in getting your compensation. Because of this, you may need a lawyer to guide you through this process.

First, you’ll need to notify the insurance company of your accident and your injuries. Typically, it’s best to say as little as possible that isn’t necessary for them to know. They’ll be investigating your claim anyway, and anything you do say can be used to reduce or dismiss your settlement.

Once they’re notified of your injuries, they’ll review your claim and determine what settlement to offer you. This is based on the severity of the damages in your personal injury claim, the cost of your medical care, and other factors covered by the insurance company.

They may also look for signs that you’re trying to commit fraud, such as acting or claiming to be injured when you aren’t. Unfortunately, this leads to many injury victims being denied because the insurance company assumes a less painful day means fraud. You may need to speak with a lawyer about protecting yourself from these accusations.

Once the insurance company has reviewed your claim, they’ll offer a settlement. Many people assume this means they’ve won and that the money will cover their needs. However, insurance companies often lowball settlement offers, meaning you may have been offered much less money than you’re actually due. Your lawyer can calculate the value of your claim and take action.

What If I’m Not Offered Enough Money?

Keep in mind that accepting a settlement offer means you can’t go back if you haven’t received enough. When in doubt, talk to your lawyer before you accept a settlement offer. They can determine whether you’re receiving a fair settlement or whether the insurance company is acting in bad faith. No matter which is the case, your lawyer is prepared to help you recover.

If you haven’t been given a fair offer, your lawyer can step in. They can help you write a demand letter, which details the damages you’ve suffered that should be included in your settlement offer. This demand letter shows that you know what your claim is worth and that you won’t accept less. For some, this is all that’s needed to get the settlement you’re due.

Unfortunately, it’s not always the case. You may have sent your demand letter, only to receive a letter stating they’re not budging, or they may try to deny you the compensation you’re due. When this happens, you and your lawyer may need to move beyond negotiating and start discussing a lawsuit. If the insurance company is acting in bad faith, you may have grounds to pursue the compensation you’re actually due.

Unfortunately, the insurance company may continue to fight back, using their resources to hire lawyers that will try to prove you’re not due the compensation you’re asking for. This may be intimidating, but here’s the good news: you don’t have to take your claim to court alone. Your attorney will be there to present your evidence, represent you in the courtroom, and help you make a full recovery when you’re hurt and suffering.

Helping You Recover Personal Injury Compensation

Here’s the part that probably matters most to you: your compensation. Your Rockford injury lawyer will help you calculate the monetary value of all of your damages for your claim.

We will make sure the past, current, and future expenses related to your accident are accounted for in your claim. We’ll even help you place a value on your non-financial damages. These are ones that affect your life and your mental health but not necessarily your bank account.

Economic Damages
When you’re seriously injured in an accident, part of your compensation should cover the financial losses you’ve suffered because of the accident. The costs to recover from a collision can be expensive, and you may have a difficult time getting the funds you’re due for your injuries.

The following are some common damages:

• Current and anticipated medical bills
• Lost wages during your recovery
• Inability to return to work
• Damage to your property, including your vehicle
• Costs tied to retrofitting your home to accommodate your disability or injuries

These damages can be accounted for by adding up the costs of your recovery. Any expenses, both the current costs of your recovery and any future expenses you may have, should be accounted for and added to your compensation total. Talk to your lawyer if you’re unsure what this compensation should include.

Non-Economic Damages

Non-economic damages can be more complex because you’re dealing with intangible suffering you’ve experienced. This trauma can impact your life in a tangible way, but it doesn’t have a dollar value like your economic damages do. For example, your hospital bills should be accounted for, but what about the physical pain you suffered because of your injuries?

Below is just a small sample of the non-economic damages you may be facing because of your accident:

• Emotional trauma
• Reduced quality of life
• Scarring or disfigurement

Calculating these damages is more complex than it is for economic damages because your non-economic damages don’t have a set dollar amount. Because of that, you’ll need to determine the impact of your injuries and their value. This can be difficult to do, but your lawyer is here to provide all the tools you need for a full recovery.

Contact a Personal Injury Lawyer in Rockford

When you’re hurt in a serious accident, you need answers for your recovery. You may already be juggling your health, your family, and your upcoming case, making it difficult to give any the attention they deserve. Your lawyer makes it possible for you to focus on your recovery, not just your lawsuit.

We have the resources, experience, and knowledge needed to win you the compensation you deserve. To team up with a legal ally who won’t back down, contact Mahoney & Mahoney, LLC.

Give our firm a call at 815-656-4600 or fill out the contact form below to schedule a free consultation with a Rockford personal injury lawyer.