Alton Personal Injury Lawyer

Alton Personal Injury Attorney

The term “personal injury” can apply to any incident in which a party’s action harms another party, usually in physical injury and/or financial damages. If you recently experienced a personal injury of any kind, it’s natural to have lots of difficult questions about how you can recover from the incident. An experienced Alton personal injury lawyer can be an invaluable asset in this situation.

Joshua R. Evans, Attorney at Law, can provide the compassionate legal counsel you need for your impending personal injury suit. Our firm successfully represents clients in a wide range of personal injury cases in the Alton area, and we can apply this experience to your case. You have a limited time to pursue your recovery, so it is vital to contact us as quickly as you can to schedule a case review with our team.

Building a Personal Injury Claim in Alton

A personal injury case can arise from many possible situations. If another party directly harmed you from an act of negligence or by breaking the law, this can form the foundation of a personal injury claim. You must prove that their actions directly resulted in the damages you suffered.

When you are searching for an personal injury lawyer to represent you, it is crucial to select an attorney who has proven experience handling cases similar to yours. Joshua R. Evans, Attorney at Law, has a long record of successful personal injury representation in many types of cases. A few of the most common types of personal injury cases our firm represents in Alton include:

• Motor vehicle accident claims. If you were injured in a vehicle accident that someone else caused, their auto insurance may pay for your damages. However, if they do not have insurance or their policy cannot fully cover all your damages, you will need to file a personal injury claim against them to recover fully.
• Work-related injuries. The workers’ compensation system exists to help injured workers recover from the injuries they suffer on the job. However, it is possible under certain conditions for injured workers to have grounds to file personal injury claims. Our firm can represent an injured client in the workers’ compensation claim filing process and help them explore additional avenues of recovery.
• Medical malpractice. When medical negligence of any kind results in an injury to a patient, the patient likely has grounds for a medical malpractice suit against the medical professional who caused the injury. There are special laws that apply to this type of personal injury case, so it is vital to choose an attorney who has proven experience representing clients in medical malpractice cases.
• Catastrophic injury claims. A personal injury qualifies as catastrophic if it results in permanent harm to the victim. Traumatic brain injuries, spinal injuries, and severe burns are just a few examples of catastrophic injuries that have a high chance of causing permanent disabilities and/or disfigurement. Your Alton personal injury lawyer can help you recover compensation for immediate and future damages related to this type of injury.

When a personal injury happens because of negligence, the injured party must prove that the at-fault party had a duty of care they breached in some way, and they must then establish causation between this breach of duty and the victim’s claimed damages. If a personal injury happens because of illegal misconduct, the plaintiff must prove the defendant broke the law and, in doing so, caused the plaintiff’s claimed damages.

Recovering From a Personal Injury in Alton

The objective of a personal injury claim in Alton is to hold a defendant accountable for the harm they have inflicted on a plaintiff and for the plaintiff to recover compensation for their damages. After your personal injury lawyer has helped you identify the party or parties responsible for causing your personal injury, you can count on their assistance to accurately determine the full costs you can claim.

The average person may be able to assess immediately recognizable damages like property losses, medical treatment costs, and lost wages if they are unable to work due to their injury. However, accurate assessment of the full extent of their anticipated future economic damages will be more difficult without an attorney’s assistance. They may also need help determining appropriate pain and suffering compensation to seek from the defendant.

Economic damages in a personal injury case are generally straightforward, proven with the appropriate documentation to show they directly resulted from the defendant’s actions. Medical bills, lost income, and property damage are commonly cited economic damages in personal injury claims. Plaintiffs may also seek recompense for anticipated future medical expenses along with lost future earning capacity if their injury left them unable to work.

Pain and suffering are more subjective, and your personal injury lawyer can help you determine an amount that appropriately reflects the severity of the harm you experienced from the accident and the scope of long-term or permanent damage the defendant caused. If you sustained any serious life-changing injuries, pain and suffering compensation may account for the bulk of your final award.

Your Attorney Can Help

The right personal injury lawyer can be an invaluable asset in multiple ways for your impending case. They can handle gathering evidence and helping you meet the procedural requirements of your case so you can focus on your recovery. Your Alton personal injury lawyer can also assist you with an accurate calculation of the full extent of the damages you could potentially recover from the defendant.

When it comes to your proceedings, a good attorney may be able to streamline your case by arranging settlement negotiations with the defendant. As long as they are willing to compromise, it is possible to resolve a case in far less time than litigation would require. Regardless of whether you can settle your case or you need to take it to court, the right attorney can be an invaluable asset that helps you maximize your recovery as efficiently as possible.

FAQs for Personal Injury Lawyers

Q: How Do You Prove Fault for a Personal Injury?

A: Proving fault for a personal injury will require various forms of evidence, along with witness testimony, if anyone saw your injury happen. The evidence you would require will vary based on the nature of your injury. So, if you file a personal injury suit after a vehicle accident, driver cell phone data and traffic camera footage could be essential to your case. Your attorney can help you gather the evidence needed to prove fault.

Q: How Much Compensation Can I Recover for a Personal Injury?

A: The amount of compensation you could recover for a personal injury will depend on the scope of your damages, whether you suffered any long-term or permanent harm and the manner in which the personal injury occurred. Plaintiffs in Alton can seek recompense for property losses, medical bills, lost wages, and their pain and suffering. Other forms of compensation, such as punitive damages, may come into play based on the details of the case.

Q: What Is the Statute of Limitations for a Personal Injury Claim in Alton?

A: The statute of limitations for a personal injury claim in Alton is the time limit in which you need to file your claim with the court or lose your chance to seek compensation from the party responsible for your personal injury. In Illinois, the statute of limitations for most personal injury claims is two years from the date the injury occurred. It is possible for this to be extended under special circumstances.

Q: What Happens if I’m Partially Liable for My Personal Injury in Alton?

A: If you are partially liable for your personal injury in Alton, this will be reflected with a fault percentage, which indicates your degree of liability for the injury. Under the state’s modified comparative negligence law, you can still claim compensation if you are less than 50% at fault, but your portion of the fault is how much of your case award you will lose. A fault of 50% or more bars the plaintiff from claiming compensation from any other party.

Q: What Does It Cost to Hire an Alton Personal Injury Lawyer?

A: The cost to hire an Alton personal injury lawyer will only be a percentage of your final award if you choose Joshua R. Evans, Attorney at Law, to represent your case. Our contingency fee policy ensures that you only pay our firm a fee if we win your case, and we take a percentage of whatever compensation we recover for you. There is no fee at all if we are unable to obtain a case award for you.

Joshua R. Evans, Attorney at Law, has years of professional experience representing clients in all types of personal injury cases. If you are ready to pursue compensation for your recent personal injury, it is vital to connect with trustworthy legal counsel right away. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation with an experienced Alton personal injury lawyer about your case.