Chicago Personal Injury Lawyers
We Get Maximum Compensation for Injured Victims
Our Illinois Personal Injury Lawyers Take the Pain Out of Accident Claims
If you were injured because of the negligence of someone else, you may be eligible to receive substantial compensation. The personal injury lawyers at Strom Yen Injury Attorneys have recovered millions of dollars in compensation on behalf of victims throughout the state. We have been helping people in Chicago recover money to pay for their lost wages, medical bills, and pain and suffering since 1977. Our injury attorneys take the pain out of filing accident claims. We can help you navigate the complicated web of insurance companies and the legal process, so you can focus on recovering.
To schedule a free consultation with an experienced personal injury lawyer in Chicago, contact us online or call (312) 374-6626
Why Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer with Strom Yen Injury Attorneys?
Injured Chicagoans turn to Strom Yen Injury Attorneys after serious accidents for a wide range of reasons.
No Upfront Fees
The personal injury attorneys at our law firm believe that all accident victims should have access to quality legal representation. To ensure your right to recovery is protected, we won’t charge you any attorney fees until we win your claim, and you receive compensation.
Personalized Service
We ensure our clients are provided with the highest level of personalized service. Our team takes the time to listen to your side of the story. Our injury lawyers help you understand your legal options, and we make sure you stay informed as your case progresses.
Superior Results
When you put Strom Injury Attorneys to work for you, your injury attorney will investigate your accident, identify liable parties, and obtain witness statements, medical records, expert opinions, and other evidence, to maximize your settlement.
Understanding the Basics of Personal Injury Law
Under personal injury law, commonly referred to as “tort law”, victims who are physically or emotionally harmed because of someone else’s act, or failure to act, have the right to file a civil lawsuit and receive compensation from the party who caused the injury.
In most personal injury cases, accident lawyers help victims file claims against the wrongdoer’s auto, business, or homeowner insurance policy. The personal injury attorney will investigate the incident that caused the injury, gather evidence, and negotiate a fair settlement. If the insurance company refuses to offer an appropriate settlement amount, the injury lawyer files a lawsuit in civil court.
It is a common misconception that personal injury claims lead to lawsuits and lengthy trials. Approximately 95% of cases, however, are settled out of court.
Recoverable Damages in a Personal Injury Case
Economic Damages
Frequently referred to as “special damages”, economic damages refer to the monetary losses suffered by the victims because of the incident. Examples include lost wages, medical bills, and other costs associated with the injury.
Non-Economic Damages
Also known as “general damages”, non-economic damages are designed to compensate an injured victim for non-monetary losses suffered because of the accident. This includes things like pain and suffering, emotional trauma, and loss of enjoyment of life.
Punitive Damages
Punitive damages may be awarded in a personal injury claim if the wrongdoer’s acts were particularly outrageous or intentional. Unlike compensatory damages, which are designed to make the victim “whole”, punitive damages are intended to punish the defendant and deter similar acts in the future.
Collecting Damages in a Personal Injury Claim
An injured victim becomes entitled to damages when a settlement agreement is reached outside of court, or after a jury awards the damages in a courtroom verdict. In some cases, damages are paid out right away in lump sums or through payments over time. When defendants are unwilling or allegedly unable to pay damages, the plaintiff’s personal injury lawyer may be able to help by garnishing wages, placing liens on personal property, or identifying undisclosed assets.
Elements of a Personal Injury Lawsuit
- Duty to Exercise Reasonable Care
- Duty of Care Was Breached
- Breach of Duty Caused the Injury
- Victim Suffered Harm
Common Cases Our Personal Injury Lawyers See
Personal injury attorneys in Chicago frequently handle accident claims that involve:
- Car accidents caused by another motorist.
- Truck accidents that happen because of negligent truckers.
- Injuries caused by defective or dangerous products.
- Premises liability cases like slip and fall accidents in malls and supermarkets.
- Dog bites and other types of animal attacks.
- Swimming pool accidents.
- Wrongful death
“Kevin and his team went above and beyond to make me feel comfortable from the start. They are professional and always had my best interest at heart. You will be in great hands with Kevin Yen.”
Recovering Compensation When Multiple Parties Are Liable
In many cases, accidents and injuries are caused by a variety of factors. Injured victims may be able to receive compensation from more than one liable party. Examples where injury claims or lawsuits may be filed against multiple parties include, but are not limited to:
- Malfunctioning equipment
- Toxic substances
- Dangerously-designed equipment
FAQ About Personal Injury Claims in Illinois
Strom & Associates welcomes the opportunity to meet with you and answer any questions you might have about the legal process and how it affects you.
From our office in Chicago, we serve clients throughout Illinois, Northwest Indiana and Southern Wisconsin. To schedule a free consultation with an attorney at our firm, call (312) 374-6626. You may also contact us by email.
Are you unsure whether you have a valid personal injury claim? Are you nervous or apprehensive about contacting a lawyer? The uncertainty you feel is very common and very understandable. If you are like most people, you only need an attorney a few times in your life, and you might not know where to start.
If you have suffered bodily injury, sickness or disease resulting from libel, slander, malicious prosecution, someone else’s neglect, false arrest or false imprisonment, you need to consult with a lawyer right away. You should also consult with an attorney if a relative or other loved one has died as a result of libel, slander, malicious prosecution, someone else’s neglect, false arrest or false imprisonment.
If you were hurt or lost a loved one in an accident in the Chicago area, you can reach out to Strom & Associates for advice. We offer a free initial consultation and case evaluation, so it does not cost you anything to find out if you have a potentially valid case. Our attorneys have more than 50 years of combined experience handling everything from car accidents to slip-and-falls to workers’ compensation claims. We will give you an honest, no-obligation assessment so you can decide how to proceed.
This is perhaps the most common question there is, and the answer to it is an encouraging one for injured people. In Illinois (and virtually all other states), personal injury attorneys take cases on a contingency basis. That means that you, as the client, do not have to pay your attorney any fees upfront or out of pocket. Your attorney only gets paid if he or she wins your case at trial or negotiates a settlement for you. And even then, his or her fees are taken as a percentage of your recovery. For example, you and your attorney might agree that the attorney will get 30 percent of whatever financial compensation you eventually receive. You may have to pay for some court costs and filing fees along the way, however.
In other words, if cost is what worries you most about hiring a lawyer, you can stop worrying.
The answer to this question depends on a variety of factors. In fact, two people with the same injury caused by the same type of event could very well end up with different compensation. Generally speaking, however, your lawyer may be able to secure compensation for:
- Medical expenses, including future medical costs for ongoing treatment, additional surgeries and similar expenses
- Physical therapy
- Emotional/psychological treatment, if necessary
- Lost wages
- Travel expenses to and from your doctor’s office
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Funeral expenses in wrongful death cases
- A variety of other expenses
Identifying and pursuing all possible sources is one of the main reasons why hiring an attorney is so important. In many cases, such as a car accident case, the defendant (the other driver) has some type of insurance. That is why, in the vast majority of cases, you must go up against an insurance company, not an individual person. The same is true if you were hurt in a fall on someone’s property; that person’s homeowner’s insurance company will be involved.
There are some situations where you may need to litigate against your own insurance company. For example, if you were hurt in a hit-and-run and the other driver cannot be found, you can make a claim under your own uninsured motorist coverage. Your own insurer may resist paying the claim, and at that point having an attorney on your side makes all the difference.
- Discovery: This is the insurance company’s opportunity to “discover” everything about you and the accident. You will receive written questions to answer under oath and you and your lawyer will need to gather up all of the medical records, bills, and other documentation of your injuries. This process often takes time and money.
- Depositions: You and other parties to the case will be asked questions under oath, with a court reporter typing up every word you say. You will be asked in great detail about your injuries, your medical history, the accident itself, and your treatment.
- Motion Hearings: Different motions are filed and lawyers from both sides must go to the hearings on them. Some motions are unimportant, while others may be critical to the case.
- Mediation: Many courts are forcing lawyers to mediate or arbitrate cases prior to trial. Mediation is typically a settlement conference without the formalities of a courtroom. A neutral party will try to help the parties reach a middle ground. Arbitration, on the other hand, is a binding “mini-trial” of the case in front of an arbitrator or panel of judges who listen to an informal presentation of the matters involved in your case.
- Trial: If your case doesn’t settle, it must go to trial, where six to twelve members of a jury will decide what your injury is worth. Trials are scheduled on the court’s schedules and can sometimes take years to be scheduled. Once you have a trial, your case may not be over — there may be an appeal and further motions and hearings.
- Collection Issues: Once the money finally comes in, your lawyer must deduct litigation expenses such as deposition fees, transcript fees, filing fees, service of process costs, medical record costs, costs involved in documenting medical bills, costs of hiring expert witnesses, costs of paying treating doctors to testify, subpoena charges, lawyer’s fees, and any legally-required medical bills or liens.
No personal injury lawyer can guarantee how much you will receive in a personal injury settlement. An experienced accident attorney, however, can evaluate your medical bills and future medical treatments needed, lost wages, and the extent of your pain and suffering to provide you with an accurate estimate of how much your claim is worth.
Although exceptions may apply, victims generally have just two years to file a lawsuit for a personal injury in Illinois.
It depends. In Illinois, you can file a personal injury lawsuit and recover compensation for your losses as long as you were less than 51% at-fault for the accident.
