The first and foremost is to contact an experienced car accident attorney to help sort through the nuances of a car accident. That includes receiving all medical attention, reporting the incident to the person’s insurance carrier and to preserve as much as possible all of the evidence involved. This includes photographs, names, addresses and telephone numbers of witnesses and other parties involved. That may include passengers in other vehicles.

In combination of all medical bills, lost time from work, pain and suffering, disfigurement, loss of normal life, loss of society and other damages are available in Illinois for a person who was injured in an automobile accident. Every case is different. The value of a case is dependent on these damage items as well as the degree of fault and the nature and extent of the injuries. All of these factors must be weighed carefully.

In Illinois, comparative fault is the rule. That means that if you were injured in an automobile accident but you were less than 50% at fault, you can still recover for damages that you have suffered, including lost time from your job or lost income. The threshold is 50% at fault. In a jury case, the total damages would be reduced by the contributory fault percentage that was found as to the plaintiff or the party who brought the lawsuit.

Yes. Every witness or participant driver or passenger may be asked questions by a police officer. The accident should be explained to the police officer, honestly describing what happened.

You should contact a lawyer that specifically handles car accidents and is experienced. By contacting a lawyer, you will learn very quickly what your rights and obligations might be. You also might learn how important it is that you not speak to the other insurance company representative or give statements to anyone other than an attorney. By contacting an attorney, your matter will be investigated, witnesses interviewed, accident reconstruction done, police reports retrieved and medical records and bills ordered.