Some of the most common types of car accidents are rear-end collisions. These crashes can sometimes be minor ones that cause a bit of property damage, but they can also result in severe injuries that leave you struggling with medical expenses and lost wages.
Learn more about the types of injuries you could suffer and how to recover your losses.
Common Injuries From Rear-End Collisions
Being in a rear-end crash can leave you struggling with a variety of injuries, including:
- Whiplash: Whiplash occurs when your head moves rapidly backward and forward, straining your neck muscles
- Broken bones: The force of the impact could cause you to hit yourself against parts of the vehicle, or could lead to limbs being trapped and potentially crushed
- Facial injuries: If the airbag deploys with significant force, you could break your nose or suffer lacerations to your face, which could require reconstructive surgery
- Soft tissue injuries: You can sustain damage to tendons, muscles, and ligaments, causing severe pain and stiffness that could last for weeks or months
- Internal damage: The accident can result in catastrophic injuries like organ damage or internal bleeding, leading to everything from organ failure to hypovolemic shock
- Back injuries: In a rear-end crash, it’s possible to suffer herniated discs, vertebral breaks, and even spinal cord injuries that leave you with motor function issues
- Head injuries: Hitting your head in the crash can mean suffering brain injuries, such as concussions
- Psychological injuries: Being in a traumatic accident could mean suffering from depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder
If you have suffered an injury, the next step is to consider whether you can pursue a personal injury claim.
How to Recover Losses After a Rear-End Collision
Illinois is a fault state for motor vehicle accidents. To be able to recover your losses after a crash, you’ll need to demonstrate that another party was responsible for the incident. You’ll also have to show that negligence played a role, which means the other party did not act as another reasonable person would have in the same situation.
Consult with an Attorney
To begin, it’s important to speak with an attorney. These cases may seem simple, but they can become complex if there are significant losses. If you hold a degree of fault, too, you should not start the claim without representation. In Illinois, you can generally still recover losses if you were partly responsible as long as your percentage of fault is less than 51%.
Be Aware of Your Filing Deadline
With an attorney, you can also be sure that you won’t miss the filing date. The statute of limitations for most car accident cases in Illinois is typically two years, though there could be exceptions. If you miss the deadline, you won’t be able to recover compensation.
Calculate Your Damages
What damages can you receive in an Illinois claim after a rear-end crash? You can receive economic damage to cover medical expenses and lost wages, as well as non-economic damages to address your pain and suffering and loss of enjoyment of life.
Contact Our Wheaton Car Accident Lawyers at Zayed Law Offices Personal Injury Attorneys for a Free Consultation
After suffering losses in a rear-end accident, one of the most important steps to take is consulting with an attorney about filing a claim. They will be able to give you a good idea of whether you can pursue compensation. A team of experienced attorneys can allow you to put your efforts into healing while they handle all of your legal needs.
For more information, please contact the experienced Chicago car accident lawyers at Zayed Law Offices Personal Injury Attorneys today. We offer free consultations.
We proudly serve Cook County, Will County, Kendall County, and their surrounding areas:
Zayed Law Offices Personal Injury Attorneys – Chicago Office
10 S La Salle St STE 1230, Chicago, IL 60603
Phone:(312) 726-1616
Hours: Open 24/7
Our firm is located near you. We have an office in Chicago
Find us with our GeoCoordinates: 41.8815493,-87.6327515
Zayed Law Offices Personal Injury Attorneys – Joliet Office
195 Springfield Ave, Joliet, IL 60435
Phone: (815) 726-1616
Our firm is located near you. We have an office in Joliet
Find us with our GeoCoordinates: 41.5254295,-88.1381011
Zayed Law Offices Personal Injury Attorneys – Rockford Office
318 N 1st St, Rockford, IL 61107
Phone:(815) 662-0330
Hours: Open 24/7
