Automobile Injury Attorney Madison, IL

Madison, IL Personal Injury Lawyers

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Call 866-382-4167 for a Free Consultation | Madison, IL Automobile Injury Attorney

Automobile injury attorney in Madison, IL. The consequences of an auto accident injury are immediate and severe. If you were injured in a Madison, IL auto accident, you need an automobile injury attorney who will defend your rights. At Halvorsen Klote, we fight for injury victims when the whole world seems stacked against them. Insurance adjusters may try to deceive you, but with a knowledgeable attorney in your corner, they will not be able to prevent you from collecting the maximum financial recovery you deserve. We provide outstanding legal representation to the vulnerable in Madison, IL, the Greater St. Louis area and Southern Illinois. You owe us no fees until you get the compensation you deserve. Speak to a Halvorsen Klote automobile injury attorney in Madison, IL now at 866-382-4167 or contact us through our website for a complimentary consultation.

We've gotten great financial recoveries for our Madison, IL clients in a variety of auto accident claims, including:

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Madison, IL Automobile Injury Attorney: Frequently Asked Questions

Most of our clients have never had to make an injury claim before, and understandably have doubts and uncertainties as to what to expect. Some of the most commonly asked questions we get are:

How Do I Know if I Have a Case?

For a claim to be valid, your injury needs to create some amount of economic damages, for instance emergency room bills or time spent off work recovering, and accident had to be caused or contributed to by another party. If you suffered some bumps and bruises, but you were never medically evaluated, you're unlikely to have a valid claim. If you were responsible for your injuries, you may not have a case either.

The good news is you don't have to make that decision alone. Halvorsen Klote's Madison, IL automobile injury attorneys offer free case reviews for people who were injured and aren't sure if they're eligible for compensation.

Do I Need to Get a Lawyer for an Automobile Injury?

There are some injuries where a lawyer won't be able to add much value to your claim. If there's no dispute about who the at-fault driver was and you didn't need much medical treatment — for instance, one emergency room visit — include detailed records in your letter to the insurance adjuster, and ask for some extra money for inconvenience. With milder injuries where fault is not in dispute, an automobile injury attorney won't be able to add much value to your claim.

But, with more significant injuries that result in several physical therapy or chiropractic appointments and don't allow you to work for a period, the insurance company is going to do whatever they can to pay you as little as possible. If the insurance company isn't coming close to giving you a fair offer, or is trying to convince you that your injuries were pre-existing, then you absolutely need a lawyer. Insurance adjusters have a lot of experience minimizing payouts; personal injury lawyers know how to have just as much experience holding them accountable.

There are things besides significant injuries that require an attorney, such as if the negligent driver refuses to admit fault, or if you were in a multi-vehicle accident, almost always require the assistance of an automobile injury attorney.

How Much Are My Automobile Injury Worth in Madison, IL?

The damages you recover after a car accident are meant to provide you with an equitable financial recovery for all the ways an injury affected your life. With an experienced Madison, IL automobile injury attorney, you'll get a financial recovery for:

• Medical expenses
• Lost wages from time spent off work
• Lost earning capacity if your injuries prevent you from making a living as you're used to
• Other related expenses, such as hiring transportation to and from medical appointments
• Noneconomic damages like pain and suffering, or loss of consortium if your spousal relationship is affected by your injuries

How much compensation you receive for your automobile injuries depends largely on how your injuries have affected your life.

How Much Will I Get for Noneconomic Damages?

There are two commonly accepted ways to calculate noneconomic damages:

• The Multiplier Method — With this method, your economic damages will be multiplied by a number, typically between 1.5 and 5, depending on how severe your injuries were. The more disruptive the injury, the higher the number.

Say you suffered a moderate neck injury, leading to $15,000 in medical expenses and lost wages, and which caused you to have neck pain for four months, and further disrupted you because it forced you to wear a neck brace for a week. Your noneconomic damages might be assigned a multiplier of three. So:

$15,000 in economic damages × 3 for the noneconomic damages multiplier = a $45,000 financial recovery

• The Per Diem Method — "Per Diem" translates from Latin to "per day." Using this method, your Madison, IL automobile injury attorney determines how much money a day of suffering is worth, and multiplies that by the number of days you suffered. So, if we stick with the same example, say $200 a day is a fair approximation of how your injuries affected you:

$200 × 121 days (four months) = $24,200 in noneconomic damages (in addition to your medical bills and lost wages)

Your attorney will use the method that applies best to your specific case.

Will I Still Get Reimbursement if My Medical Insurance Covers My Medical Bills?

Yes. All of your medical expenses will be included in your settlement or judgment, even if your insurance paid for it. However, your medical insurance company will place a medical lien on your settlement. That allows them to be compensated by the liable party's insurance, just as you are being compensated.

The law allows a variety of avenues to reduce medical liens. An experience Madison, IL automobile injury attorney will be able to work with your insurance company and healthcare providers to reduce those liens and make sure as little is taken out of your financial recovery as possible.

What If My Damages Exceed the Policy Limits?

Missouri and Illinois have very similar laws regarding minimum auto coverage:

• $25,000 minimum coverage for bodily injury per person
• $50,000 minimum coverage for bodily injury per accident
• $25,000 (Missouri)/$20,000 (Illinois) minimum coverage for property damage

While the at-fault driver may have more coverage, there is still no guarantee that there's enough to compensate you for all of your damages. That doesn't mean we can't get more compensation than the limits. First, you can use your own policy's underinsured motorist coverage. Secondly, your attorney can find out if there are other liable parties.

What Other Parties Could Be Held Accountable for My Auto Accident Injuries in Madison, IL?

In most cases, the other driver is the only personal we can hold accountable for your injuries. However, depending on the specifics of your case, other parties may be liable:

• An car manufacturer may may have produced a faulty car component, leading to a product liability claim
• In a truck crash, the trucking company may have failed to repair a truck, or may have forced their driver to drive more hours than allowed
• A mechanic may have improperly repaired an automobile, which had a hand in the crash
• A licensed alcohol vendor if they served alcohol to a drunk driver that caused your crash
• A local, state or federal authority responsible for designing and maintaining the safety of roads
• A construction company if the accident was caused by an unsafe construction site

What if The Insurance Company is Saying the Accident is My Fault?

Shifting blame is a common tactic insurance adjusters use to avoid paying you. Providing strong evidence, in addition to having an automobile injury attorney experienced in fighting back against that tactic, will help prove you're not at-fault.

In some car accidents, both drivers really are each partially to blame. Both Missouri Law and 735 ILCS 5/2-1116 followed the legal doctrine of "comparative negligence." Meaning, if you were 30 percent at fault for the accident, you can recover 70 percent of your damages from the other party. In Illinois, you cannot make any recovery if it is determined that you were more than half to blame.

What if I Was Injured as a Passenger?

If you were injured as a passenger, you still seek compensation from the liable driver's insurance company, even if it's someone you know. While they may have to pay a moderate amount more for insurance, that doesn't compare to the medical bills and lost wages you've sustained as a result. An automobile injury attorney can help make the process less personal.

Will I Have to Go to Court?

You probably will not be required to go attend hearings or a trial for your automobile injuries. The Bureau of Justice Statistics issued a study in 2005 that found that more than nine out of 10 tort claims are settled before trial.

You'll likely have to take a deposition and may have to attend a mediation, but your automobile injury attorney will prep you for those and do most of the work themselves.

How Long Will I Have to Wait Until I'm Compensated?

Each injury is different, and the more complicated a case, usually the longer it takes. A personal injury claim can take anywhere from six to eight weeks to three or four years before it reaches its conclusion. Many insurance adjusters start cooperating immediately once they've received notice that there's an attorney on the case. Other times, they'll wait until the eve of trial to finally agree to what is fair, or the liability and insurance coverage elements are so complex that they require considerable investigation and expert testimony.

Most cases are settled within three to nine months. While while we understand that you'd like to receive your compensation as quickly as possible, it's always in your best interest to hold out for the full, fair financial recovery you're owed. Once you agree to a settlement, your right to get additional compensation is barred.

What if I Can't Afford an Automobile Injury Attorney?

Halvorsen Klote's Madison, IL automobile injury attorney receive our fees through a contingency fee. That means we take a percentage of your final compensation as our attorneys' fees, and there are no upfront costs. If we don't win, you don't owe us anything, so there's no financial risk involved in hiring our services.

We see no reason that money should be an obstacle for people who just want to be fairly compensated for their injuries.

If you have any other questions about car accident claims, have a look at the frequently asked questions area of our website, go to our legal resources page or contact us online.

Other cases we take on in Madison, IL include:

• Fatal Car Accident Lawyer
• Auto Accident Attorney
• Bike Wreck Lawyer
• What to Do After a Car Accident
• Premises Liability Attorneys
• Motorcycle Accidents Attorney
• Lawyer for Bicycle Accident
• Pedestrian Accident Lawyer
• Injury Claim Lawyer

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Hire an Automobile Injury Attorney in Madison, IL Today

We do what we do because we believe that an injury victim should have access to the same standard of legal advocacy that large insurance companies have. Injuries are always unexpected and create fear and confusion. But we will be by your side every step of the way. We negotiate with insurance companies every day and know how to get our Madison, IL clients the best possible results. We always have open lines of communication with our clients, and do everything we can to make the claims process easy and seamless for you and your Madison, IL family. Call a Halvorsen Klote automobile injury attorney in Madison, IL now at 866-382-4167 or reach out to us online for a complimentary case evaluation.

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