Accidents can happen anywhere. Even here in beautiful, tranquil Wheaton.
For instance, one minute you're shopping at Mariano's, and the next you're in the hospital with a broken leg because you slipped and fell on a wet spot in one of the aisles. Or, you're heading home from work via Route 38 when another vehicle rear-ends you because they were on their phone instead of paying attention to the road.
Yet, even though most of these accidents are known to only result in minor bumps and bruises, some of them can lead to devastating trauma and debilitating pain that can forever impact your life. That is why if you suffered harm in a Wheaton personal injury accident because of another person's wrongful or negligent actions, you should reach out to an experienced Wheaton personal injury attorney, like those at the Zayed Law Offices, as soon as possible.
These attorneys are here for you, ready to fight on your behalf, and provide you with the legal help you need during this challenging time in your life.
The Zayed Law Offices
Due to the complex laws, extensive litigation costs, and complicated procedural requirements that personal injury cases involve, it is important that when you are considering a law firm to take on this type of case, you find one that you can trust, has the experience and the resources to take on your claim and is ready to vigorously fight on your behalf and provide you the strong and compassionate representation you deserve.
Fortunately, at Zayed Law Offices, our legal team has years of experience taking on the most powerful corporations, municipalities, trucking companies, and insurance groups.
We have represented countless clients and have secured millions of dollars on their behalf through settlement negotiations and trial verdicts, including several recent case results:
- $1.77 million for a car accident
- $1.50 million for a commercial motor vehicle accident
- $1.30 million for a wrongful death
- $1.00 million for a trucking accident
- $950,000 for a medical malpractice accident
- $710,000 for a trucking accident
Note these are only past results and don't guarantee an outcome in all cases.
Common Types of Wheaton Personal Injury Accidents
Personal injury law allows injured individuals to obtain compensation when another person's wrongful conduct causes them harm. Yet, although any type of accident can lead to a personal injury claim, in Wheaton, some personal injury accidents happen more frequently than others.
They include:
- Motor vehicle collisions, especially on local interstates such as I-355 or main roadways in Wheaton such as Illinois Route 38 or Illinois Route 56
- Premises liability accidents, including slip and fall accidents
- Product liability accidents
- Trucking collisions
- Workplace accidents
- Medical malpractice accidents
- Pedestrian collisions
- Motorcycle crashes
- Dog bite incidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Wrongful death accidents
Common Injuries Resulting From a Wheaton Personal Injury Accident
Personal injury accidents can cause devastating injuries.
Although the type and severity of injuries will often depend on the circumstances of the incident, common injuries include:
- Spinal cord damage
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Back and neck injuries
- Significant lacerations
- Broken bones
- Soft tissue injuries
- Facial trauma
- Bruising
- Burns
- Death
The Statute of Limitations on Personal Injury Accident Claims in Wheaton
If you suffered harm in a Wheaton personal injury accident, before you can pursue legal action to recover compensation for the damages you sustained, you first need to determine whether you have enough time to file your case.
The statute of limitations is a regulation that dictates the amount of time you have to file a legal claim following an alleged offense. However, if you do not file your lawsuit within this period, you can be stopped from obtaining compensation for the harm and losses you sustained.
In Illinois, the statute of limitations to file an injury claim following a Wheaton personal injury accident is two years from the accident date. Yet, there may be limited exceptions that apply to this rule that can change this filing period.
For these reasons, you should not wait to reach out to an experienced Wheaton personal injury attorney at Zayed Law Offices after your accident. These lawyers can promptly review what happened and figure out the maximum amount of time you have to file your case. They can also ensure that your legal motions are prepared correctly and filed before the statute of limitations expires.
Steps You Should Take After a Wheaton Personal Injury Accident
Although the last thing you want to worry about after a personal injury accident is the steps you should take next, you need to realize that these steps can not only protect your health and safety but your legal rights as well. Consequently, following a Wheaton personal injury accident, you should:
1. Contact the Authorities Immediately
The quickest way to alert officials and medical personnel of the accident and get it on record is to contact 911 immediately after the personal injury accident. Once the police arrive, they can perform their preliminary investigation into the incident and jot down their findings in their police report. If you decide to pursue a personal injury legal claim, this report can provide you and your attorney with valuable details regarding what happened.
2. Gather Evidence From the Scene
If the scene is safe and you can do so, collect as much evidence from the accident scene as possible. This should include photos of your visible injuries, the dangerous conditions that caused your injuries, any motor vehicles involved in the accident, the weather conditions, the location of the accident, and any other details that can help show what happened.
3. Get Information From Those Involved
After the accident, try to exchange information with the others involved. For example, following a car accident, you want to obtain the other drivers' names, contact details, insurance information, and driver's license numbers.
Yet, as you talk to these people, make sure you watch what you say. This means you want to avoid apologizing, taking the blame for the accident, or making any definitive statements regarding what happened. These types of comments can hurt your case and impact the amount of compensation you can receive.
4. Avoid Posting on Social Media Accounts
Even though posting about your accident on your social media accounts may seem like a great way to relieve some stress following the accident, this may not be in your best interest to do so. You need to remember that the insurance companies and the defense team are looking for any evidence to use against you. Consequently, when you post details about the incident on the internet, they can use these posts to hurt your case.
5. Get Examined by a Doctor
Although your injuries following a personal injury accident may appear to be minor, you should still get to a doctor as soon as you can following your accident. This is because many serious injuries such as brain trauma can take some time to manifest. Yet, the longer you wait to get this injury examined, the more devastating and fatal it can become.
Plus, getting this prompt medical attention can also help your legal case, especially since insurance companies are looking for any reason to deny your claim. As a result, if you do not get seen by a doctor after your accident, the insurance company will try to argue that your injuries are not that serious or a result of a subsequent event.
When a doctor examines you shortly after the accident, they can provide you with a medical report that can serve as evidence of a direct link between your Wheaton personal injury accident and the harm you sustained.
Wheaton Personal Injury FAQs
How Do You Know if You Have a Viable Legal Case Following a Wheaton Personal Injury Accident?
Unfortunately, if a personal injury accident harmed you, you cannot automatically pursue legal action for your losses.
In truth, many factors that go into determining whether you have a viable injury claim, including:
- The severity and the extent of your injuries
- Whether another person was responsible for your accident and injuries
- Whether there is any insurance available following the accident
- Whether you still have time to file your claim in Wheaton
Consequently, if you suffered harm in a personal injury accident and want to know if you can file a lawsuit, you should reach out to an experienced Wheaton personal injury attorney at Zayed Law Offices, as soon as possible. Our legal team can not only review what happened and figure out if you can pursue a legal case, but we can also help you fight for the damages you deserve.
What Damages Can You Pursue Following a Wheaton Personal Injury Accident?
If you have been harmed in a Wheaton personal injury accident, you may be entitled to certain types of compensation. In Illinois, this compensation often includes both economic and non-economic damages.
Economic Damages: These damages refer to the actual and verifiable losses that result from an accident.
They include:
- Medical bills including past, current, and future medical expenses related to surgeries, doctor visits, prescription medications, hospital stay, emergency services such as ambulance rides, and assistive medical devices
- Lost wages and lost earning capacity
- At-home nursing care
- Personal property damages related to replacement costs or repair expenses
- Other out-of-pocket costs
Non-economic Damages: These damages refer to intangible losses, such as:
- Pain and suffering
- Disability
- Disfigurement and scarring
- Inconvenience
- Loss of society
- Loss of consortium
In addition, courts may award punitive damages to the plaintiff after a personal injury accident. However, unlike other damages, which compensate a victim for their losses and injuries, punitive damages punish the defendant for their egregious actions and to deter others from committing this act.
As a result, these damages are not awarded in every personal injury case. Rather, the court only awards them when the plaintiff's lawyer can show that the defendant's actions were extremely negligent or intentional.
How Can I Prove Who Is Responsible for My Accident?
It can be challenging to prove who is at fault in a personal injury accident. That's why legal help is always so important—lawyers know the law well and can make sure you don't miss even a piece of evidence that could be relevant. To prove who is responsible, the main thing you'll need is evidence.
If possible, collect:
- Medical records and bills.
- Receipts for repairs to your vehicle, your bike, or other damaged property such as a damaged cell phone.
- Photos or video recordings from the accident scene.
- The police report, if applicable.
- Witness statements.
- A journal of the suffering you have endured since the accident, personally, financially, and physically.
- Witness evidence from your family and friends that corroborates what you record in your journal.
- Expert testimony from medical professionals who can testify to the potential future effects of your injuries.
Don't worry if this seems a bit overwhelming. A good personal injury lawyer will help you gather the evidence you need so that you don't have to worry about missing anything important.
Contact A Wheaton Personal Injury Lawyer Today
At the Zayed Law Offices, our legal team knows that no amount of compensation will ever truly help you get over the pain, stress, and losses your personal injury accident has caused you. However, we also know that obtaining monetary damages for your injuries can help you not only start rebuilding your life after this tragic event but give you the peace of mind that justice has been served.
That is why our skilled legal professionals are here and ready to provide you with the legal assistance you need to fight for every last dollar your accident has cost you.
As a result, once you retain our legal team, we can:
- Go over your personal injury accident in detail, evaluate your legal claim, and figure out your legal options.
- Investigate your accident and obtain the necessary evidence to prove what happened and who was at fault for your injuries and losses.
- Bring in financial specialists, accident reconstructionists, and doctors to validate your claim.
- Take over all the discussions and negotiations with the other side and fight for a just settlement offer.
- Proceed to trial, if required, and fight tirelessly to obtain maximum damages on your behalf.
For these reasons, if a Wheaton personal injury accident harmed you or a loved one, do not wait any longer to get the legal help you need. Instead, contact Zayed Law Offices today at (630) 690-1919 for a free case evaluation and let our skilled personal injury attorneys help you fight for the justice you deserve.
Wheaton Personal Injury Lawyer
Address: 1761 S Naperville Road Suite 202,Wheaton, IL 60189
Phone: 630.690.1919