Chicago’s South Side is known for its neighborhoods like Englewood, Beverly, South Shore, Bronzeville, Chatham, and more. If you or one of your family members has been injured in an accident on the South side of Chicago, you need a personal injury attorney who knows how to protect your rights.
The Kryder Law Group, LLC has represented many clients who have been injured on the South Side of Chicago. Our law firm of Chicago personal injury attorneys understand the challenges that our clients face when they are trying to get the compensation they deserve. We will work tirelessly to make sure that you get the full and fair financial compensation that you are entitled to.
If you or someone you know has been seriously injured in an accident on the South Side, contact The Kryder Law Group, LLC law firm today for a free consultation. We will work hard to make sure you get the compensation you deserve for your serious injuries caused by someone else’s negligence.
What are reasons for making personal injury claims?
Physical injuries arising from negligence, intentional cause or recklessness by the defendant can lead to personal injury claims. These personal injury scenarios often include:
- Vehicle accidents resulting in serious injury or wrongful death including a car accident, motorcycle accident, truck accidents, bicycle, scooter or pedestrian collision.
- Accidents involving a boat
- Mass transport incidents on trains, airplanes, and buses including the CTA red, green, and orange lines
- Falling over due to slippery surfaces
- Building site accidents
- Factory accidents
- Product liability
- Medical malpractice
- Neglect or abuse in nursing homes or assisting living facilities
- Wrongful death
Who is answerable for my injuries?
If you have come to serious harm in South Side Chicago, IL, because of someone else’s negligence, your case may be covered under personal injury law. If the party responsible for your severe injuries is found negligent by a court, they can be held liable for their actions and you could receive compensation for your losses.
Examples of Negligence
Negligence is defined as harm to another person or property that is caused by an error in judgment or carelessness. The following examples are just some of the mistakes that are covered by the term negligence:
- Motor vehicles: Causing car accidents by not following traffic laws while driving, driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics, not paying attention to other road users, or driving while distracted.
- Premises liability: Not maintaining a safe premises where people work or shop.
- Medical malpractice: Prescribing incorrect medication, birth injuries, making mistakes during surgery, and failure to provide correct medical treatment due to misdiagnosis.
- Product liability: Inadequate warnings about product safety, product causing injury due to poor quality construction, or unsafe design.
- Construction: Failure to maintain equipment, lack of safety training, exposed electrical wires, incorrectly stored chemicals, unstable structures, being hit by falling objects, and trip hazards.
The legal doctrine of respondeat superior means that if the accident happened while the defendant was working, their employer may also be considered responsible for the accident.
When several individuals are considered responsible for the accident, they can all be added as defendants in the case. The liability of each individual is decided by a jury, based on their assessment of the proportion of influence that each defendant had over the conditions that lead to the injury.
How do I know if I have a case?
You may have a personal injury case if you have suffered devastating injuries from an accident on the South side Chicago area. If you have suffered personal injuries, you will need to produce proof meeting all of the following criteria in order for your legal representation to proceed with the case:
- The plaintiff (the injured person) was owed a duty of care by the defendant;
- Said duty of care was not met by the defendant; and
- The injury and damage suffered by the plaintiff was caused by the defendant failing to meet their obligations of duty and care.
Your South Side of Chicago injury lawyers will gather many types of evidence to build a strong case. This includes video and photographs taken at the scene of the accident, incident reports filed after the accident by police officers, inspection reports, and testimony from eyewitnesses.
Additionally, your medical bills, testimony from your medical provider regarding the extent of your injuries, and expert witness opinions related to the conditions of the accident can help to strengthen your case as you pursue compensation.
Is there a time limit for me to file a lawsuit?
File in Two Years
Illinois statute of limitations requires most injury lawsuits to be submitted less than two years after the date of the accident.
File in One Year
There are some exceptions when you will need to file within one year of the incident. These are examples of the types of defendants who will need to be sued within a shorter time frame:
Filing deadlines are taken very seriously by the courts, and if a defendant is not named within the required time frame, they will dismiss the defendant from the case. This makes it important to seek advice from your attorney to ensure they have enough information to properly examine your case and identity all potential defendants before the deadline passes.
How much is my case worth?
When pursuing compensation for wrongful death or injuries caused by car accidents, dog bites, motor vehicle collisions, illegal searches, police brutality, excessive force or other forms of accidents, the value of a case is usually influenced by these three factors:
Whether there is enough evidence to hold the defendant liable.
Plaintiffs (the injured party) must prove by a preponderance of the evidence that the defendant is liable for the accident. To prove this, your attorney will gather necessary evidence which may include eyewitness reports, photos and video, police reports, or expert testimony.
The nature and extent of the injuries involved.
The types of injuries and how much they impact your life will help determine the value of the case. This includes pain and suffering, past and future medical bills and expenses, loss of normal life and activities, loss of enjoyment of life, past and future lost wages, and any scarring, permanent disability, or disfigurement.
The ability of the defendant to pay a judgment.
If the at-fault party is in debt, they may not have enough money to pay the full award amount, and this makes it difficult to recover the full amount of damages suffered.
Large judgements, which can include multi-million dollar verdicts, are usually awarded for serious injuries or extreme negligence. Typically defendants such as large corporations, trucking companies, or wealthy business executives have large insurance policies or assets which will increase the chances of the plaintiff being fully compensated and receiving the full payout awarded by the court.
Talk to an experienced Cook County accident attorney for free today to discuss the details of your case and how much it might be worth.
How long will it take to resolve the case?
Unlike the strict deadlines for filing a case, Chicago County courts do not set deadlines for how quickly a case must be settled or go to trial.
The willingness of the plaintiffs to settle the case for a reasonable sum is one of the most important elements in how long a lawsuit will take. When liability and compensatory damages are undisputed, a case may be settled in as little as a few months. It is not unusual for a case to take more than a year to resolve, especially if the defendant challenges their being held liable or disputes the impact and severity of the injuries received by the victim.
What benefits are there to hiring an attorney?
The Kryder Law Group’s experienced personal injury attorneys will help you fight for justice in the courtroom. After our risk-free personal consultation, we will develop the case and obtain the evidence necessary to present the case to a jury if the defendant refuses to come to the bargaining table.
Our investigation team will help you procure medical records, accident reports, eyewitness accounts, the identity of possible defendants, and any experts you might need to prove your case. Our attorneys will prepare and file any paperwork with the court, appear on your behalf before a judge, fight for you during settlement negotiations, and present your case to a jury at trial.
We have recovered millions for injured people throughout Cook County and Chicago’s South side. We are happy to serve clients in Chicago’s South Side neighborhoods, and proud of the results we have achieved:
- Record $7.5 million recovery for a worker injured in a construction accident
- Record $3.2 million recovery for a worker injured in fall through an uncovered trench
- $3 million for a pedestrian struck by a garbage truck
- $1.4 million for slip and fall accident
- $1.4 million for carbon monoxide poisoning
- Many more 6 figure settlements for car accident cases
Free Consultation
We offer free consultations and legal help to Southside accident victims. We work on a contingency-fee basis, so we are not paid until you are. Call The Kryder Law Group, LLC today if you or a family member was injured in an accident.