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Your Edwardsville 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 Madison County sits in Edwardsville, at 155 N. Main Street, Edwardsville, IL 62025. To talk it through, send the form on this page and we will work to connect you with an attorney in our network.
If you are reading this after an accident in Edwardsville, you are probably tired, sore and unsure whom to trust. That is normal. A few rules learned early can keep you from making choices that are hard to undo.
We match people with attorneys; we do not advise on cases. Treat what follows as a plain language guide to Illinois law drawn from the statutes. When you want to talk to an attorney, the form at the top of this page is the way to start.
What To Ask Before You Choose An Attorney In Edwardsville
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 deadline. Ask the attorney to name the exact last day to file for your claim. The general limit for injury claims in Illinois is two years (735 ILCS 5/13-202).
- Limits on damages. Ask whether any rule restricts the amount you could recover in Illinois.
- The money terms. Ask how fees are calculated and which costs come out of a recovery.
- The people. Ask who will be in touch with you and how quickly they return calls.
Kinds of Injury Claims
Vehicle crashes
Vehicle injuries start with the same few steps: medical care first, then photographs of the scene, names and numbers of anyone who saw it, the other driver’s insurance information and any estimates for repairs.
Pedestrian and bicycle injuries
If a driver hit you while you were on foot or on a bike, note exactly where it happened, what the signals and lighting were like, and who saw it. Ask the people who stopped to leave their names and numbers.
Falls and unsafe property
Falls on someone else’s property usually depend on what the owner knew or should have known about the hazard. Photograph the spot before it changes, report the fall in writing, and keep the shoes you were wearing.
Wrongful death
When a death is caused by someone else’s wrongful act or neglect, the claim works differently from an injury claim. A wrongful death claim follows its own rules in Illinois; ask an attorney which date applies (740 ILCS 180/2). This is a hard moment to decide anything, and an attorney can walk you through the steps without hurrying you.
Injured in Edwardsville? Get matched with an attorney now.
When You Were Partly At Fault
An insurer may stress your own mistakes, and in Illinois the percentage it can attach to you matters. 735 ILCS 5/2-1116 sets the rule.
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, witness names and medical records help show where the fault lies.
What The Law Says About Damages
Illinois does not put a general statutory ceiling on damages for an injury. The state constitution restricts such limits.
Lasting effects and missed work are part of what is proved.
How Long You Have To File
The general time limit for an injury claim in Illinois is 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)).
A wrongful death claim follows its own rules, so ask which date applies (740 ILCS 180/2). Missing the date usually ends the case, so ask any attorney to name the exact last day for yours.
Insurance Limits To Know
The minimum liability limits for a driver in Illinois are $25,000 for injury to one person, $50,000 for injury to two or more people in one accident and $20,000 for property damage (625 ILCS 5/7-203).
When the other driver carries only the minimum and your injuries are serious, any other policy that applies becomes important. Before you accept a payment, ask your attorney to check for every policy that might apply, yours included.
The Court and Hospitals Behind a Edwardsville Claim
Madison County is the county the Census Bureau assigns to Edwardsville. For Madison County, the Illinois court directory shows the 3rd circuit court in Edwardsville, at 155 N. Main Street, Edwardsville, IL 62025. In Madison County, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Hospital General Information file lists Alton Memorial Hospital in Alton as an acute care hospital with emergency services. Gateway Regional Medical Center in Granite City, in Madison County, appears in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Hospital General Information file as an acute care hospital with emergency services.
Keep copies of everything the hospital or clinic gives you, ask for an itemized bill, and note each appointment as it happens. If you moved between facilities, collect the records from each one.
How The Intake Process Works In Edwardsville
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.
Meanwhile, jot down the facts while they are fresh: date, time, place, who was there, what care you have had and what work you have missed. Save every bill and every message from an insurer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Illinois statute of limitations for an injury claim?
Generally two years (735 ILCS 5/13-202). The period can be longer for a child, and a few other situations extend it too (735 ILCS 5/13-211(a)). A wrongful death claim follows its own rules (740 ILCS 180/2).
What happens to my claim if I share some of the fault?
Illinois answers this directly. 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). How the blame is assigned matters. Keep notes about how the injury happened.
Is there a limit on damages for an injury in Illinois?
It depends on the bills, the missed work and the lasting effects, and an attorney can tell you whether any rule limits the amount. How fault is assigned can also change the amount. Lasting effects and missed work are part of what is proved.
How much insurance does the other driver have to have?
At least $25,000 for injury to one person, $50,000 for injury to two or more people in one accident and $20,000 for property damage (625 ILCS 5/7-203). A serious injury can cost more than the other driver’s policy pays. Keep the other driver’s insurance details from the day of the crash.
Which papers should I hold on to after a crash?
Keep your medical records and itemized bills. Take photographs of the injuries and of where it happened. Pay records, repair estimates and insurer emails should go in the same place.
Can I talk to the other side’s insurance company?
You may speak with them, but you do not have to give a recorded statement right away. Saying that you want advice first is a reasonable answer. Before you sign anything, have someone review it.
Does it cost anything to use this page to find an attorney?
No. The form is free to use. Many injury attorneys work on a contingency fee, which means they are paid from a recovery. Ask to see the fee agreement in writing before you sign.
What should I do right after being hurt?
Get medical care first. Tell the police or the owner of the property what happened. Take photographs and write the details down while they are fresh.
Help Elsewhere in Illinois
The same matching service covers more of Illinois. Pick the community closest to where it happened.
