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Your Belleville Personal Injury Attorney
The short answer. In Illinois most injury claims must be filed within two years (735 ILCS 5/13-202). The trial court for St. Clair County sits in Belleville, at 10 Public Square, Belleville, IL 62220. To talk it through, send the form on this page and we will work to connect you with an attorney in our network.
After an injury, ordinary life gets heavy. There are appointments to keep, bills arriving, and a claim that nobody explained to you. If another person’s carelessness hurt you in Belleville, it is reasonable to want a clear picture before you decide anything.
Nothing on this page is legal advice, and NeedAnAttorney.net is not a law firm. It is a service that connects injured people with attorneys. The rules described here are quoted or summarized from Illinois’s own statutes so that you can check them yourself.
Before You Hire: Questions For A Belleville Attorney
Ask these in any first conversation:
- If you were partly to blame. Ask what happens to your award if a jury finds you share the blame (735 ILCS 5/2-1116).
- The date. Ask for the specific last day to file in your case. The general rule is two years (735 ILCS 5/13-202).
- Any ceiling. Ask whether any rule restricts the amount you could recover in Illinois.
- Fees and costs. Ask what the fee is, when it is paid, and which expenses are deducted from a settlement.
- Who will work on it. Ask who handles your file day to day and how fast messages are answered.
Personal Injury Types of Cases
Premises Liability
Many premises liability claims are from a property owner’s duty to maintain a property in the way that does not endanger others. There are may ways a property owner can violate this duty.
- Broken Stairs
- Unlit alleyways
- Slippery Floors
- Surfaces that are uneven
- Places to receive burns
- Places to receive chemical exposure
- Dog bites
- and other dangerous conditions
Work Place Accidents
These types of personal injury lawsuits involve more that just a employee and employer. If you feel like your place of employment was negligent in some way, you might have a claim for compensation. These types of accidents can include.
- Slip and Fall
- Unsafe working conditions
- Unmaintained equipment
- Auto Accidents
- Death
- Electrical Hazards
- Occupational illnesses like COPD, contagious diseases, and asbestosis
- personal injuries at work
Wrongful Death
When negligence leads to fatal injuries, a wrongful death suit can help the surviving family members hold the negligent company, persons, and or person accountable for what was done. A wrongful death case can involve different types of compensation from other personal injury claims. After a fatal accident, family members can ask an attorney to review what compensation the surviving loved ones may have a right to. These types of accidents can include.
- Auto Accident
- Maritime Accident
- Drowning
- Electrocution
- Falls
- Helicopter Accident
- Fire
- Firearm
- and other types of wrongful deaths
Motor Vehicle Accidents
As long as the person that was operating the vehicle that injured you was negligent in some way, you can could have a claim for compensation. This can include.
- Car Accidents
- Truck Accidents
- Bicycle Accidents
- 18 wheeler Accidents
- Motorcycle crashes
- Drunk Driving
- Distracted Driving
- Aggressive Driving
- and other types of motor vehicle accidents
Injured in Belleville? Get matched with an attorney now.
How Fault Is Divided
Fault is divided by percentage in Illinois, and the dividing line sits at fifty percent. The source is 735 ILCS 5/2-1116.
You can recover if your share of the fault is 50 percent or less, and your award is reduced by your share; above 50 percent the claim is barred (735 ILCS 5/2-1116). Insurers often press this point first, so keep notes about how the injury happened.
Is There A Ceiling On The Award
The amount of an award in Illinois is not fixed by a general statute. The state constitution restricts such limits.
The facts of your claim drive the amount.
Filing Deadlines For Injury Claims
A lawsuit for most injuries in Illinois must be started within two years (735 ILCS 5/13-202). Extra time can be available for a child and in some other limited situations (735 ILCS 5/13-211(a)).
If someone died, a separate set of rules can apply (740 ILCS 180/2). Records fade and witnesses move, so an early start helps even well inside the limit.
Local Courts and Hospitals in Belleville
The Census Bureau places Belleville in St. Clair County. The Illinois court directory lists the 20th circuit court for St. Clair County in Belleville, at 10 Public Square, Belleville, IL 62220. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Hospital General Information file lists Memorial Hospital in Belleville as an acute care hospital with emergency services. Touchette Regional Hospital Inc in Centreville, in St. Clair County, appears in that file as an acute care hospital with emergency services.
In the federal Hospital General Information file, the closest Illinois acute care or critical access hospital to Belleville is Memorial Hospital in Belleville, 2.8 miles, an acute care hospital (4500 Memorial Drive, Belleville, IL 62226). After it come HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in O’Fallon, 5.5 miles, an acute care hospital; then Touchette Regional Hospital in Centreville, 7.4 miles, an acute care hospital. All distances are straight line miles from Belleville.
A straight line is shorter than the drive from Belleville. Ask each provider for your complete records and an itemized bill, and note the date of every appointment.
The file also lists Gateway Regional Medical Center in Granite City at 15.3 miles and Anderson Hospital in Maryville at 15.5 miles. Counting Illinois acute care and critical access hospitals in a straight line from Belleville: 3 within 10 miles, 7 within 25 miles, 19 within 50 miles.
The nearest places in Illinois that this site has pages for, by the same coordinates, are Fairview Heights (5.5 miles north), East St. Louis (10.3 miles northwest) and Collinsville (11.1 miles north). From Belleville, Springfield lies 90 miles north and Chicago 260 miles northeast.
What Happens When You Send The Form From Belleville
Start with the form at the top. It asks a few questions about the injury. NeedAnAttorney.net reviews your details and works to match you with an attorney in our network who may handle cases in Illinois. Using it is free, and it does not create an attorney client relationship.
Before the first call, collect the basics: the date, the place, names of witnesses, your medical visits and your missed work. A single folder for bills, letters and photographs saves time later.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are there limits on an injury award in Illinois?
The amount depends on the facts of your claim, so ask an attorney whether any rule limits it in your case. The bills, the missed work and the lasting effects drive the amount. The facts of your claim drive the amount.
What are the minimum auto insurance limits in Illinois?
$25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident and $20,000 for property damage (625 ILCS 5/7-203). Several policies can apply to one crash. Before you accept a payment, check for every policy that may apply.
How far is the closest hospital from Belleville?
In a straight line the nearest Illinois acute care or critical access hospital is Memorial Hospital in Belleville, 2.8 miles, an acute care hospital; HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in O’Fallon is 5.5 miles and Touchette Regional Hospital in Centreville is 7.4 miles. Call 911 in an emergency; not every hospital has an emergency room.
Which nearby places does this site cover besides Belleville?
Closest by straight line are Fairview Heights (5.5 miles north), East St. Louis (10.3 miles northwest) and Collinsville (11.1 miles north).
Is there a fee for the form on this page?
There is no fee for the form. Most injury attorneys explain their fee before you decide. You decide whether to hire anyone.
When will I know what my claim is worth?
It depends on how long you need treatment. Claims often wait until your condition is clear and the total losses are known. A lawsuit adds time.
Is there a deadline for suing after an accident in Illinois?
Generally two years (735 ILCS 5/13-202). A child may have more time, and a few other limited situations extend the period too (735 ILCS 5/13-211(a)). Write down the date of the injury now.
If I was partly responsible, can I still recover something?
You can recover if your share of the fault is 50 percent or less, and your award is reduced by your share; above 50 percent the claim is barred (735 ILCS 5/2-1116). Photographs and witness names help show where the fault lies. Do not guess about fault when you talk to an insurer.
Help Elsewhere in Illinois
The same matching service covers more of Illinois. Pick the community closest to where it happened.
