Collinsville Car Accident Lawyer
If you’ve been injured in a car accident, you may be entitled to damages for your medical expenses, lost wages, property damage, and pain and suffering. The attorneys at Hipskind McAninch, LLC, your Collinsville car accident lawyer, will represent you on a contingency basis, so you don’t have to pay out of pocket for our professional legal advice.
Call today for a free, no-obligation consultation, and get started today on your full financial recovery.
What it Takes to Prove Liability in a Car Accident Case
In order to collect damages on your claim, your case must meet the following four conditions, and car crash attorneys must be able to prove them in a court of law:
1. Duty of Care
The defendant must have a legal duty of care to you. For example, with car accidents, it’s understood that every driver has the legal obligation not to endanger other drivers. That means they should refrain from aggressive driving, distracted driving, drunk driving, drowsy driving, etc.
2. Breach of Duty
The next thing a personal injury car crash lawyer must prove is that the defendant breached their legal duty of care. For example, distracted driving is a leading cause of auto accidents. If text messaging leads to a car crash, a diligent Collinsville personal injury lawyer could subpoena phone records to show that the car accident occurred while the driver was texting in their motor vehicle during one of many motor vehicle accidents.
Not only is texting and driving illegal under Illinois state law, but this evidence could also be used to support a civil car accident claim.
3. Causation
Your personal injury attorney must also be able to demonstrate that the breach of duty caused the car wreck. For example, consider a motorcycle accident where the rider sustained a crash and broken bones because a car driver failed to check before changing lanes. The car driver had a duty of care to the motorcyclist, breached that duty by changing lanes without clearance, and struck the driver, which caused the accident.
4. Damages
Damages are monetary and non-monetary expenses associated with car accidents and other personal injuries. For example, medical expenses, lost wages, and property damage are all damages. But in addition to the monetary cost of the car crash, there are also intangible costs, like physical pain and mental anguish.
Compensation for Auto Accidents
Car accident attorneys divide damages for a minor car accident or a major car accident case into three categories. Economic and non-economic damages are referred to by personal injury attorneys as compensatory damages, while punitive damages are awarded to punish the defendant. Here is an overview of each.
Economic Damages
These are the monetary costs associated with an auto accident. If you’ve been involved in a car crash, you will almost certainly have medical bills, lost wages, and property damage, but you also won’t necessarily know how long it will take to make a full recovery. Economic damages include the future costs of your personal injury needs as well.
Non-Economic Damages
While you will want the financial costs of your workplace injuries paid for, being reimbursed by the insurance company for expenses is not a full recovery. You may have suffered physical pain, mental anguish, and sheer inconvenience due to someone else’s negligence. Car crash lawyers also seek to recover money for non-economic damages, like “pain and suffering.”
Punitive Damages
These damages are meant ot further penalize the defendant. Under Illinois Law, punitive damages are capped at three times the amount of economic damages. In order to claim punitive damages, a car crash lawyer must show that the defendant’s actions were wanton or intentional.
Car Accident Statistics
As a suburb of St. Louis, Collinsville IL sees its fair share of traffic accidents on busy roads and interstates.
While the State of Illinois does not publish crash statistics for individual cities like Collinsville, the statewide numbers show just how common a car accident can be. In 2020, there were 246,752 crashes across Illinois. That works out to roughly 676 car crashes, motorcycle accidents, and semi-truck collisions every single day. Around eight drivers and passengers suffered injuries every hour, and there were an average of three deaths per day due to fatal accidents. Behind each number is a real injured party and a family dealing with medical bills, severe injuries, and unexpected losses.
When a car accident in or around Collinsville IL leads to broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, or even wrongful death claims, having the right legal help matters. An experienced car accident attorney or personal injury lawyer from a trusted personal injury law firm can investigate the crash, deal with the other driver’s insurance company, and build a strong personal injury claim on your behalf. The Collinsville personal injury lawyers at Hipskind & McAninch, LLC regularly represent Collinsville personal injury victims who are facing mounting medical expenses, lost wages, and long-term emotional distress after a serious wreck.
If you or a loved one has been hurt in a car crash or killed because of someone else’s negligence, a dedicated personal injury lawyer can help you seek the full compensation you deserve. Our Collinsville personal injury lawyers handle auto accident cases and wrongful death claims from start to finish, guiding you through the legal process while you focus on healing. Contact Hipskind & McAninch, LLC today to schedule a free consultation with a knowledgeable car accident attorney who will explain your options and fight for your rights.
About Car Accidents
To properly pursue your personal injury claim, you need a top tier car crash lawyer. Collinsville personal injury’s Hipskind McAninch, LLC is a leading personal injury law firm that also handles cases like wrongful death and will represent you for free. Call today for a free one-on-one consultation. In the meantime, here are some of the most commonly asked questions our car accident lawyers hear from clients.
In order to get full compensation for your injuries, you should contact a qualified personal injury lawyer. Even with common personal injury cases, insurance companies are reluctant to pay full restitution. A skilled insurance adjuster or their firm will try to minimize your payout, but an injury lawyer can fully assess your claim and fight for full restitution.
You have two years from the date of the car accident to file a claim. For example, if the auto accident resulted in death and led to a case with severe injuries, you have two years from the date of death to file the claim with car accident lawyers. It’s important to note that the date of death is not necessarily the same as the date when the auto accident occurred, which is why the standard is different.
Car Crash Lawyers in Collinsville, IL
If you’ve been injured in an auto accident in Collinsville, IL, you need a Collinsville car accident lawyer who will fight for your right to fair and full compensation. Hipskind McAninch, LLC is a reputable law firm that puts the accident victim first.
Our attorneys work on a contingency basis, which means that we accept a percentage of the proceeds as payment. This occurs after we settle the case or win in court, securing financial compensation for you. Don’t accept a settlement from a driver’s insurance company before speaking to one of our attorneys. Call today for a free consultation and immediate representation.