Chesterville Car Accident Lawyer

Car accidents are an unfortunate reality for many Illinois drivers, happening every day throughout the state for unpredictable reasons. Even the most experienced and cautious drivers can experience devastating crashes resulting in life-changing damages. Unfortunately, some victims of car accidents never fully recover from these experiences.

Experienced Legal Representation for Chesterville Car Accident Victims

If you or someone you love is struggling in the aftermath of an auto accident, contact our firm. A Chesterville car accident attorney is the best asset to have on your side as you seek compensation for the resulting damages. Unfortunately, many people are not fully aware of their legal rights after another driver has hit them, and auto insurance alone may not compensate the entire scope of losses resulting from another driver’s neglect or misconduct. If you want to recover as fully as possible from your recent car accident in Chesterville, IL, the team at Brandenburg & Rees, LLP, is ready to provide the comprehensive and compassionate legal counsel you need in this difficult situation.

Throughout the years of our firm’s operation, we have assisted many motor vehicle accident victims with their insurance claims and their personal injury cases. While most of our clients have a grasp of their claimable damages at first, they are often surprised to discover we can obtain far more compensation for their losses than they initially anticipated. If you want the best chance of recovering as much compensation as possible as swiftly as possible after an accident, our firm is ready to assist in your recovery efforts.

Benefits of Legal Representation After an Auto Accident in Chesterville

Technically, you are not legally required to hire legal assistance to help you recover from an auto accident, but doing so greatly increases your chances of maximizing the compensation you obtain from the at-fault driver. In addition, when you have a reliable and experienced Chesterville car accident attorney handling your recovery efforts, they can uncover every available channel of compensation, some of which you may have overlooked on your own.

When filing your auto insurance claim, this valuable first step in the recovery process will be much easier to handle when you have the right attorney assisting you. Your legal team can help submit the strongest claim possible to the insurance company, and once the insurer realizes that you have legal representation, they will be more inclined to handle your claim efficiently and in good faith. Your Chesterville car accident attorney is the best resource for maximizing your insurance claim payout, but even if you maximize this first step in your recovery, it may not cover your damages fully.

After exhausting your recovery options through insurance, your attorney will continue to be a crucial asset to your recovery efforts if you must file a personal injury claim against the at-fault driver. This civil suit could enable you to recover compensation for the damages their insurance won’t cover. When you choose Brandenburg & Rees, LLP, as your legal representation, our firm will help determine your claimable damages, build a complaint against the at-fault driver, and prepare you for the proceedings ahead of you.

Ultimately, you will likely recover as much compensation as is legally available to you when you have a Chesterville car accident attorney representing you but do so in the shortest time possible. The sooner you secure reliable legal counsel from a trustworthy attorney, the sooner they can begin guiding you toward the compensation you deserve.

Proving Liability for Your Car Accident in Chesterville

The essential first step in any recovery process following an auto accident in Chesterville is identifying the driver responsible for the accident. A few of the most commonly reported causes that lead to personal injury cases in the Chesterville area include:

• Distracted driving. Whenever a driver is not paying full attention to the road ahead and their surroundings, they put themselves and everyone around them at risk. Inattentive driving is consistently ranked as the top cause of vehicle accidents throughout the United States each year.
• Speeding. Any time a driver exceeds the speed limit, they reduce the time and distance they would have to slow down or stop to avoid a crash. Speeding is a leading contributing factor to the number of fatal accidents throughout the country, and speeding also increases the chances of an accident resulting in catastrophic injuries.
• Driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol or drugs. Any driver who causes an accident in this manner not only faces conviction for DUI but also increased penalties for harming another motorist. Penalties for DUI can include fines, jail time, and loss of driving privileges, and these penalties increase when drivers commit multiple offenses.
• Moving violations, such as performing an illegal turn, running a red light, or failing to stop at a stop sign. Traffic signals exist so drivers can anticipate the actions of other drivers nearby and maintain a safe flow of traffic. However, negligent moving violations can easily result in serious accidents, especially in busy metropolitan areas.

Regardless of the exact cause of your car accident, if the incident occurred because of another motorist’s actions, you have the right to seek accountability for the damages they caused. Every driver in the state is required to have auto insurance that includes liability coverage for property damage and bodily injury, so the first act in your recovery efforts following an accident should be an auto insurance claim filed against the at-fault driver.

Filing Your Auto Insurance Claim

It’s important to act quickly after an accident when it comes to your insurance claim. You typically only have a few days after your accident to file your claim, and your Chesterville car accident attorney will assist in ensuring that your claim contains all necessary information and seeks the highest compensation available under the terms of the at-fault driver’s policy. In Illinois, a car insurance policy is legally required to include these forms of coverage:

• No less than $25,000 in bodily injury liability coverage for injuries caused to a single person.
• At least $50,000 in total accident coverage for bodily injuries to multiple people in a single accident.
• $20,000 or more in property damage liability coverage to pay for vehicle repair costs.

Your legal team will handle any disputes that could arise with your claim. Unfortunately, most insurance companies look for any reasons to reduce settlement offers or outright deny claims. Brandenburg & Rees, LLP, can ensure that the insurance carrier handles your claim in good faith and delivers an appropriate settlement offer.

Building a Personal Injury Claim for an Auto Accident

Even if you encounter no issues with your insurance claim and secure maximum compensation from the responsible driver’s policy, this may not cover all your damages fully. Under Illinois’ personal injury laws, you have the right to seek full compensation for all the economic losses the at-fault driver caused, and this includes both immediate and long-term losses directly resulting from their negligence and misconduct.

If you must file a personal injury claim after completing your auto insurance claim, Brandenburg & Rees, LLP, will work quickly to help you compile the strongest civil suit possible. To succeed with your personal injury claim, you must be ready to prove that the defendant is directly responsible for the claimed damages. This may require proof that they were negligent in some way, which means they failed to act with reasonable care in a manner causing your accident. You may alternatively need to prove they intentionally broke state law and caused your injury.

Our firm can help collect the evidence you need to firmly establish liability for your accident. Depending on how the accident occurred, this could mean eyewitness testimony, vehicle computer records, footage from traffic cameras, the at-fault driver’s records, and the records from their cell phone. After you have proven they are responsible for the accident, you must then show evidence of the full extent of the damages you are seeking and provide proof that those damages directly resulted from their misconduct or negligence.

Under the law, the claimable economic losses you may include in your personal injury claim are:

• Property damage, such as vehicle repair or replacement costs not covered by the defendant’s auto insurance. Your attorney can assist in calculating the full cash value of your vehicle if it was damaged beyond repair, and you can also claim compensation for other personal property lost in the accident.
• Medical expenses. If you suffered a serious injury from the defendant’s actions, their insurance policy’s bodily injury liability coverage might only compensate a fraction of your total medical expenses. A Chesterville car accident attorney can then assist in proving the full extent of immediate and future damages the accident caused. If you suffered a severe injury that demands ongoing treatment and rehabilitation, the defendant is responsible for these costs, along with all expenses incurred immediately after the accident.
• Lost wages. Your accident could leave you disabled for an extended time, and you can hold the defendant accountable for the income you were unable to earn because of the damage the accident caused. Additionally, if your accident caused a permanent disability that diminishes your earning power, the defendant is responsible for the lost future income. An experienced attorney can help calculate these losses if this applies to your case.

After you have the right attorney to handle the claim, you might be surprised to learn that your claimable economic damages are greater than you initially expected. However, your recovery also includes pain and suffering compensation. The defendant is responsible for the emotional distress, physical pain, and psychological trauma their actions caused. This facet of compensation has no limit. Your Chesterville attorney can help determine a reasonable amount based on the extent of your injuries and whether you face long-term or permanent harm because of the accident. If you sustained permanent damage from your accident, your pain and suffering compensation could form the bulk of your total recovery.

What to Expect From Your Chesterville Car Accident Attorney

Reliable legal advocacy is invaluable, no matter what your recovery efforts entail after an auto accident. When you hire Brandenburg & Rees, LLP, we will do everything we can to streamline the recovery process. Our team has years of experience handling personal injury cases, including car accident claims. Instead of trying to handle your legal proceedings on your own while also struggling with your medical needs, have our team provide the compassionate legal counsel you need and handle your legal affairs on your behalf. This not only allows you to rest and recover with peace of mind but also greatly increases your chances of maximizing your recovery.

Our firm will help you secure as much compensation as possible through an initial insurance claim, and when you must pursue further compensation through a personal injury claim against the responsible driver, we can manage your civil claim proceedings as well. We’ll seek to settle your case quickly if possible, but if settlement is not a viable option, we are fully prepared to handle your case in court.

Throughout every stage of the recovery efforts, a responsive legal advocate will answer any questions and address your concerns. In addition, our firm is prepared to help you hold the at-fault driver accountable for the entire scope of current damages they caused, as well as those in the future, maximizing your recovery to the fullest extent possible under the law.

Car Accident Lawyer FAQs

Q: How Much Compensation Can I Recover for a Motor Vehicle Accident Case in Chesterville?

A: When another driver has caused an accident and injured you, the responsibility for the entire scope of economic losses they inflicted falls on them. Therefore, they are also liable for the pain and suffering as well as any long-term damages the accident caused. Your Chesterville car accident attorney will be instrumental in calculating your claimable damages and securing fair compensation through an auto insurance claim and a personal injury suit if necessary.

Q: How Much Time Do I Have to File a Personal Injury Claim for an Auto Accident?

A: The statute of limitations on personal injury suits in Illinois is two years from the date an injury occurs. Many people mistakenly believe this to be more than enough time and do not realize the preliminary steps they must complete before proceeding with their claim. You have the best chances of success when you start the claim filing process right away after any personal injury. Additionally, you have an even shorter time to file your auto insurance claim after a serious accident.

Q: Will the At-Fault Driver Go to Jail for Causing My Accident?

A: If the driver responsible for your recent crash caused the incident through simple negligence, they will face liability for your damages but will be unlikely to face criminal charges. If they broke the law in any way in causing the accident, then criminal prosecution is very likely. Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, excessive speeding, and intentional misconduct behind the wheel may all lead to criminal charges.

Q: How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Chesterville Car Accident Lawyer?

A: It is understandable to be concerned about the potential cost of legal counsel when you are already struggling in the aftermath of a damaging accident. Most personal injury attorneys offer contingency fee arrangements to make their legal counsel more accessible. With this billing arrangement, you only pay a legal fee once you win the case, and the fee you pay is a percentage of your final case award. Always verify an attorney’s policies on billing before you agree to representation by their firm.

Q: How Long Will It Take to Get My Compensation for an Auto Accident in Chesterville?

A: If you hire reliable legal counsel as fast as possible after your accident, you should be able to secure an auto insurance settlement within a few weeks. However, when you must file a personal injury claim for full recovery, this will take longer. As long as the defendant agrees to a settlement, your proceedings may only take a few weeks to a month or two. However, if you have to resolve your case through litigation, it could potentially take several months before you have a resolution. An experienced Chesterville car accident attorney can provide an estimate of how long your case is likely to take to complete.

Contact Experienced Chesterville Car Accident Lawyers

The team at Brandenburg & Rees, LLP, uses its years of experience when representing clients with all types of motor vehicle accident claims. We know the challenges you are likely to encounter as you seek compensation for your damages and how to maximize your recovery in the shortest time possible. Time is a critical factor after any car accident when it comes to securing the compensation you deserve. Because of this, it’s best to secure legal counsel you can trust as quickly as possible after a serious accident. Get in touch with Brandenburg & Rees, LLP, today for a consult with a Chesterville car accident attorney you can trust.