Law Offices of Jonathan L. Carbary LTD

Personal injury attorneys typically take accident cases on a contingency fee basis. This means that your attorney fees are taken out of the settlement award or judgment that you receive. If your attorney does not win your case, you do not pay anything in attorney fees. If your attorney does win your case, he or she takes a percentage out of your award, based on your contingency fee agreement. You do not typically pay any upfront fees, so the risk is on the attorney because he or she does the work without any guarantee of being paid.

When you meet with your attorney for the first time, you should bring any documents and other evidence that you have related to the accident, such as: Police or accident report Medical records Medical bills Witness contact information Contact information, vehicle information and insurance information for the defendant Employment records that show how many days you missed from work Pictures of the accident scene If you do not have all of these items, it is fine. You can sign release forms so that your attorney can gather these documents. But if you do have these documents, go ahead and bring them with you. Also, you should prepare a list of questions for your attorney that you bring with you to your initial consultation. These questions should be designed to learn about your lawyer’s qualifications, experience with cases like yours and record of success in similar cases.

Each state has a statute of limitations regarding how long an accident victim has to file a lawsuit after sustaining an injury. In Illinois, there is a two-year statute of limitations. This means that you have two years from the date of your accident to file a lawsuit. If this time limit passes, you will be barred from making a claim, regardless of how clear the defendant’s liability is. In some situations, there is an even shorter statute of limitations, such as if you are filing a lawsuit against a governmental entity. Even if your claim is subject to the two-year statute of limitations, you should not delay in contacting a personal injury lawyer. Your attorney will need time to investigate your claim and gather information to substantiate it. Additionally, the insurance company may try to delay your claim so that the statute of limitations expires, so you need plenty of time to process the insurance claim.

Yes. When you speak to a personal injury attorney or support staff from the Law Offices of Jonathan L. Carbary, Ltd., you are protected by attorney/client privilege. We are ethically required to protect this information and not share it without your permission. If there is any unprivileged information, we will be sure to inform you of that before your disclosure. There may be information that we gather on your behalf that must be shared with the insurance company or during litigation, but we will inform you of that beforehand. At the Law Offices of Jonathan L. Carbary, Ltd., we take our ethical duties seriously and zealously protect your confidentiality and privacy.

Your accident does not need to involve a catastrophic injury or death in order for an attorney to handle on it. Personal injury attorneys are often hired after seemingly minor accidents. Many accident victims do not realize the full extent of damages that they may sustain in even a small accident. They may not have received prompt medical attention and may have injuries that they are not even aware of. They may have missed work or had to use employment benefits to recover from their injuries. An experienced personal injury attorney from the Law Offices of Jonathan L. Carbary, Ltd. can review the circumstances of your case during a free consultation and determine if your case is big enough to handle.

No. It is important to remember that the claims adjuster assigned to your case works for the insurance company. Claims adjusters are in place to protect the insurance company’s financial interests and profitability. They do this by denying as many claims as possible and minimizing the payout on those claims they do approve. If the insurance company is advising you not to hire an attorney, this may indicate that it does not want an attorney involved so that it can make you an unfair settlement offer. A personal injury lawyer can review your claim, gather information about the extent of your damages, and calculate the value of your claim. He or she can also negotiate a fair settlement on your behalf.

If you have already contacted the insurance company and filed a claim, it is not too late to get the help of a skilled personal injury attorney. Many accident victims do not hire a personal injury attorney until the insurance claim is denied, they receive a lowball settlement offer, or they learn how much work it takes to pursue their claim. If you have already taken steps with the insurance company, it is important that you provide your lawyer with any communications you have sent or received. You should avoid giving a recorded statement unless your attorney advises you to do so.

If you were involved in an accident that required medical treatment, you missed time off work because of the accident or the insurance company is denying liability, it is best to hire a personal injury lawyer. An attorney experienced in this area of the law can review the circumstances of your case, determine which parties are liable and assess the extent of your damages. While you might not technically need a personal injury attorney after a minor accident, it is unlikely that the insurance company will offer you a fair settlement without legal representation. Most personal injury attorneys do not charge for an initial consultation, so there is no harm in contacting one to learn about your rights and legal options.