You Don’t Have To Suffer In Silence After A Personal Injury

If you or a loved one were involved in an accident, an experienced attorney can help you get compensation.

The personal injury attorneys at Smith LaCien LLP in Chicago have decades of experience helping people like you dealing with the aftermath of an injury or the loss of a family member. We can analyze your case and explore your options for moving forward. With our trusted guidance, you can rest assured that you are heading in the right direction.

Our reputation for results, now totaling more than $2 billion, is proof of our commitment to helping injured people throughout Illinois.

What Is The Definition Of A Personal Injury?

A Personal Injury Glossary

Personal injury is the legal term that refers to any bodily injury, or even a mental or emotional injury, caused by someone else’s negligent actions. For example, a brain injury suffered in a car accident or a broken bone suffered in a slip-and-fall accident may be a personal injury, as could PTSD caused by a dog bite or depression experienced by a victim of nursing home abuse or neglect.

Personal injury law is the body of law that allows people to take action against negligent parties who caused a personal injury.

A personal injury claim is the legal action that people take to recover compensation from the negligent party who caused the personal injury.

Personal injury damages refers to the compensation or money you need to cover your personal injury-related losses, including medical bills and lost wages.

At Smith LaCien, we recognize that most people who come to our law office have never dealt with a personal injury before, so all of this is new to them. Our lawyers and staff are always happy to answer questions, explain processes or simply talk things through at any stage of the case.

Potential Damages For A Personal Injury

The goal of a personal injury claim is to get you money for everything you have lost due to another person’s negligence. This includes money for economic damages such as:

Medical bills: This goes deeper than just getting money to pay for the bills you have already accumulated because of an injury or the loss of a loved one. This also includes bills for medical expenses you may encounter in the future. Will the injury likely require additional doctor visits? Is there a need for ongoing physical therapy? Might further surgeries be required? All of this should be included.

Lost wages: As with medical bills, you should not just get money for wages you have already lost, but wages you may lose in the future. Will you miss more work because of an injury? Will you have to get a new job entirely because you will no longer be able to perform your work duties? Did you lose a loved one who provided economic support that will no longer be available to you now that they are gone? All of these expenses need to be considered when calculating damages.

You also may be entitled to compensation for noneconomic damages. These are damages that you cannot simply add up like medical bills or lost wages. They include damages for the pain and suffering you experienced, which can be difficult to quantify but should be translated into a dollar value. Our experience means we are skilled in doing this complex calculation.

A note on damages and insurance settlement offers: Do not be surprised if the negligent party’s insurer reaches out to you, potentially very soon after the accident, to offer you a settlement. The check may sound good and, on the surface, might be a nice amount. Keep in mind that insurers are notorious for undervaluing claims and offering money well before the extent of an injury or the long-term repercussions are understood. Reviewing a settlement check with an attorney at Smith LaCien costs you nothing and provides the peace of mind of knowing for certain whether or not the check is fair before you accept it.

Our goal is to seek the maximum reward for our clients. If you’ve been injured due to someone else’s negligence, you deserve the best treatment to get you back on your feet. From rehabilitation to surgery, the goal is to provide you with the ongoing medical care you need.

What Type Of Injury Have You Suffered?

We have helped clients facing a variety of injuries, including:

• Brain injuries, which can be catastrophic
• Back injuries, often leading to other issues
• Burn injuries and related scarring
• Broken bones, including broken arms and legs, as well as skull fractures, spine fractures
• Wrongful death, if you’ve lost a loved one

What Caused The Injury?

We stand up for people who have been hurt in:

• Car accidents, including truck, motorcycle, bicycle and pedestrian accidents
• Medical malpractice, when health care professionals make serious errors
• Product liability cases, when a defective or dangerous product causes harm
• Construction accidents, from scaffolding falls to equipment-related injury or death
• Fall accidents such as slip-and-fall accidents and trip-and-fall accidents
• Animal attacks, including dog bites

No matter where you’re at in the process, we are here to help. Our attorneys are committed to getting you the best possible result. From gathering evidence to obtaining medical records, you can expect that your case will be gone over with a fine-tooth comb.

Results Matter! And We Get Them.

Some of our verdicts and settlements include:

• $19 million for the family of a tow-truck driver who was killed in an auto accident
• $20 million for a college student who suffered a brain injury during an operation
• $9.5 million for a bike rider who suffered a brain injury in a bike crash caused by a street defect
• $93 million for multiple victims of a tragic plan crash

These are just a few of our long record of verdicts and settlements in personal injury claims, but they demonstrate the pride we take in making sure that the people we represent not only get justice against those who harmed them, but also get the money they need to move forward after a tragic accident.

What You Should Do If You Or A Family Member Is Injured

Always prioritize medical attention after an accident of any kind. Even if injuries seem minor or not readily apparent, go to a doctor. Many injuries, including brain injuries, are invisible at first, but end up causing long-term problems. Catching them early can mean earlier treatment, which can be critical. If you end up pursuing a personal injury claim, failing to seek medical attention may be something that the opposing party tries to use against you to minimize the injuries.

If the situation allows, any documentation can be valuable. From photos of the accident scene or any injuries to the names and contact information of witnesses to notes outlining exactly what happened, this may all be important for building a personal injury claim. With that said, your wellbeing and safety are a priority, and there will be an investigation afterward to gather details of the accident.

Call a lawyer. Personal injury lawyers offer free consultations and do not require any upfront payment, so there is no risk in having one review your case.

Call Today To Get Started With A Free Consultation

Because we care about our clients, we offer free, no-obligation consultations. We also handle cases on a contingency basis, which means you don’t pay us anything unless we obtain results. To learn more about how we can help, email our law office in Chicago today or call 312-509-8900.