Chicago Car Accident Lawyer
As someone who was injured in a car accident in Chicago, you already know what it has cost you. The medical bills, the missed work, the way your days look different now. You are living with it.
What you may not know is where you stand. Who is legally responsible? What is the insurance company not telling you? What evidence matters? What is your claim actually worth, and what happens next?
Goldberg & Goldberg has been answering those questions for injured Chicagoans since 1967. We investigate the crash, secure the evidence before it disappears, identify every source of insurance coverage, and build your case as if it will be tried, because insurers know which firms are willing to take a case to trial. And we tell you the truth about what the evidence shows, even when it is not what you hoped to hear.
When someone comes to us after a serious crash, they usually have questions no one has answered clearly. We find the evidence, we tell them the truth about what it shows, and we prepare the case as if we are going to have to prove it in court.
If you were injured in a crash, call Goldberg & Goldberg at 312-368-0255 for a free consultation with a car accident lawyer.
What Should You Do After a Serious Car Accident?
After a serious crash, protect two things first: your health and the evidence. Get the medical care you need, and if you are able, preserve as much information about the collision as possible.
Photographs can document vehicle positions, damage, debris, road conditions, traffic signals, and visible injuries. The names and contact information of witnesses may become important if there is later disagreement about how the collision occurred. You should also obtain the other driver’s identifying and insurance information.
A police report can provide another record of the crash. It may identify the drivers, vehicles, witnesses, location, and other information gathered at the scene.
Keep records after you leave. Medical paperwork, bills, photographs, repair estimates, insurance correspondence, and documentation of missed work can help establish how the accident affected you.
You may not know which piece of information will matter later. Preserving what is available can give your attorney a clearer picture of what happened.
Why Medical Care Matters After a Collision
Medical treatment does more than address your injuries. It creates a record of when symptoms began, what doctors found, what treatment was required, and how your condition changed after the crash.
Some injuries are immediately apparent. Others may become more noticeable after the initial shock of the collision has passed. If you develop new symptoms or your condition changes, tell your medical provider what you are experiencing.
Your records may document when pain began, what examinations showed, what testing was ordered, and what treatment followed. They can also help establish whether your injuries affected your ability to work, move, sleep, drive, or perform ordinary activities.
A car accident claim should reflect what actually happened to you. Understanding that impact often requires looking beyond the emergency room visit and reviewing the course of your medical care.
An insurance adjuster may contact you before you know the full extent of your injuries. The adjuster represents the insurance company and may ask about the crash, your symptoms, or your medical treatment. Before providing a recorded statement, signing documents, or accepting a settlement, consider speaking with an attorney. Goldberg & Goldberg can review insurance communications and address the insurer while you focus on your medical care and recovery.
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What Evidence Matters in Car Accidents?
A car accident investigation often starts by comparing several sources of evidence rather than relying on one person’s account. The available evidence depends on where and how your crash occurred.
Crash Records
We examine police reports, photographs, diagrams, citations, insurance information, and other records created after the collision. These materials can identify important details and areas that require further investigation.
Witnesses and Other Evidence
Witness accounts may help establish what occurred before impact. Depending on the crash, video footage, nearby surveillance cameras, vehicle information, or other evidence may also provide useful information.
Vehicle Damage and the Collision
Vehicle damage and the location of impact can help clarify how the crash occurred. In appropriate cases, additional investigation may be necessary to evaluate speed, movement, visibility, or other disputed circumstances.
Medical Records and Your Injuries
We review your medical records and treatment history to understand the injuries documented after the collision and how those injuries have affected your daily life.
Who May Be Responsible for a Car Accident?
The driver who struck you may not be the only person or company whose conduct requires investigation. Responsibility depends on the circumstances of the collision and the evidence available.
Car accidents can result from speeding, following too closely, failing to yield, drunk driving, disregarding a traffic signal, distracted driving, or other unsafe conduct. Other cases can involve a driver working for a company, a commercial vehicle, multiple vehicles, or another party whose conduct contributed to the collision.
Disputed fault requires careful attention to the evidence. What a driver says at the scene is not necessarily the final answer.
Illinois also follows a modified comparative negligence rule. If an injured person is found more than 50 percent responsible for the injury, recovery is barred. If that person’s share of fault is 50 percent or less, damages can be reduced according to the percentage of fault attributed to that person.
That makes evidence concerning how the collision happened especially important.
What Compensation May Be Available After a Car Accident?
A car accident claim should account for the losses the collision caused, including losses that may continue after the claim begins. The value of a case depends on the injuries, treatment, recovery, financial consequences, available insurance, and other facts.
Depending on your circumstances, damages may include:
- Medical expenses related to your injuries
- Lost wages and reduced earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Disability or disfigurement
- Property damage
- Other accident-related losses supported by the evidence
The same injury does not affect every person in the same way.Your occupation, medical needs, recovery, and ability to perform activities you handled before the collision may all matter.
Medical records, employment information, bills, photographs, and other documentation can help establish those losses. We examine both what has already happened and what the evidence shows about the continuing effects of your injuries.
What if the Driver Who Hit You Does Not Have Enough Insurance?
A lack of adequate insurance from the at-fault driver does not necessarily end the investigation into available coverage. Your own automobile policy may contain coverage that becomes important after a crash involving an uninsured or underinsured driver.
Illinois automobile policies are subject to requirements concerning uninsured motorist coverage. The specific coverage available to you depends on the policy and circumstances of the collision.
A coverage review may involve more than checking the limits listed for the other driver. Your attorney can examine the applicable policies, the vehicles involved, and other potential sources of recovery.
This can be particularly important after a collision that causes significant injuries. Medical expenses, lost income, and other losses can quickly exceed limited liability coverage.
Before assuming there is no additional insurance available, Goldberg & Goldberg can review the policies and circumstances surrounding your crash.
How Long Do You Have to File a Car Accident Lawsuit in Illinois?
Illinois generally provides two years to bring an action for damages for personal injury, but you should not assume that every car accident claim follows the same deadline.
Different facts can affect the time available. Claims involving government entities, minors, wrongful death, or other circumstances may raise different procedural or timing issues.
There is another practical reason to act sooner. Evidence can become harder to obtain as time passes. Vehicles may be repaired. Video may be overwritten. Witnesses can become difficult to locate and memories can fade.
Speaking with an attorney early gives your legal team time to identify evidence, review insurance coverage, obtain records, and determine which deadlines apply to your case. You should not wait until a deadline is approaching to investigate a serious collision.
Why Injured Drivers Turn to Goldberg & Goldberg
A serious car accident case is won or lost on work that happens early. The evidence has to be preserved before it disappears. The insurance coverage has to be understood before anyone discusses a number. The injuries have to be documented in a way that holds up. And the case has to be built so the other side knows you are prepared to prove it.
That is why we prepare every serious case as if it will be tried. Preparation changes how a case is investigated, valued, and negotiated, and it changes how insurers respond when they see who is on the other side. When a case does go before a jury, the work is already done.
We also do not inflate expectations to sign a case or promise an outcome before the evidence is there. You get an honest assessment of where you stand from lawyers who have been giving clients straight answers since 1967.
Talk With Goldberg & Goldberg About Your Car Accident
You may have questions about who caused the crash, whether the insurance company is treating your claim fairly, what coverage is available, or how your injuries may affect the value of your case. You do not need to answer those questions by yourself before contacting an attorney.
At Goldberg & Goldberg, we can investigate the collision, preserve available evidence, review your medical records, examine insurance coverage, and explain the legal issues that apply to your circumstances.
If you were injured in a Chicago car accident, call Goldberg & Goldberg at 312-368-0255 for a free consultation. We can review what happened and discuss the next steps in your claim.
Frequently Asked Questions About Car Accident Claims
The days and weeks after a collision can raise questions about insurance, medical care, fault, and the evidence you may need. The answers depend on the circumstances of your crash, but several issues arise frequently.
What if My Injuries Did Not Appear Until After the Accident?
Some symptoms may become apparent after you leave the scene. If you develop pain, dizziness, limited movement, headaches, or other symptoms, seek appropriate medical attention and explain when the symptoms began. Medical records can document your condition, testing, diagnosis, and treatment while helping establish the timeline between the collision and your injuries.
What if the Other Driver Says I Caused the Crash?
A disagreement between drivers does not determine who was legally responsible for the collision. The circumstances of the crash can help establish how it occurred and whether either driver contributed to it. Because your share of fault can affect your recovery under Illinois law, Goldberg & Goldberg can investigate disputed responsibility and determine how the applicable fault rules may affect your claim.
What if the Other Driver Admitted Fault at the Scene?
A driver’s admission at the scene can be important, but it may not settle the question of responsibility. The driver’s account may change later, or an insurance company may dispute how the collision occurred. What was said after the crash should be considered with the other available information. Goldberg & Goldberg can investigate the circumstances and build a claim based on the facts rather than relying on one statement.
What if the Driver Who Hit Me Was Uninsured?
You may still have a potential source of coverage. Illinois automobile policies include uninsured motorist coverage subject to statutory requirements, and your own policy may apply depending on the facts. An attorney can review the policy, applicable coverage limits, and circumstances of the collision before determining what insurance may be available for your injuries.
What Should I Bring to My First Meeting With a Car Accident Lawyer?
Bring whatever accident-related information you already have. That may include the police report, photographs, insurance information, medical records, bills, repair estimates, correspondence from insurers, and information about missed work. Do not delay a consultation because you are missing documents. Your attorney can identify additional records that may need to be obtained.
If you were injured and have questions about your claim, call Goldberg & Goldberg at 312-368-0255 for a free consultation with a car accident lawyer. We can examine the evidence, your injuries, and the insurance coverage available after your Chicago car accident.
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