Frequently asked questions
For 25 years I have focused on two areas. Personal injury cases and employment discrimination cases. Personal injury cases encompass everything from car and truck accidents, slip and fall injuries, construction site negligence, nursing home neglect and abuse cases and medical malpractice cases.
All personal injury cases and most employment cases are handled on a contingency basis. We pay for the cost of obtaining records, filing suit, conducting discovery and hiring experts. If the case cannot be settled and a judgment is not entered in your favor, you pay nothing.
Every case is different. When feasible, we try to settle cases for a fair amount. Often, insurance companies do not negotiate in good faith and we do have to file suit. Most cases do settle before an actual jury trial. By the time discovery has been completed, the insurance company will know that we are serious and capable of proving the case at trial.
If you have had an injury that involves a trip to the hospital and follow up care, you likely do need a lawyer. The insurance company is there to protect its bottom line. To offer you the least amount of money possible. An experienced injury lawyer can help you determine how much insurance coverage is available, getting medical bills paid and making sure that you do not overpay for services.
The amount of time that it takes to settle a case can vary from as little as a couple of months to a couple of years. The jurisdiction where the injury occurred can have a significant impact on the amount of time it takes to resolve a case. Cases in Cook county often take much longer to resolve than cases in Kane, Cook, DuPage and Kendall County. The amount of the insurance and the quality of the defendant’s insurance company are important factors as well. Normally, settlement discussions will not begin until you have reached maximum medical improvement. Our goal is to always move cases forward as quickly as possible, but the ultimate goal is fair compensation for your injuries.