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Your Evanston Personal Injury Attorney
The short answer. In Illinois most injury claims must be filed within two years (735 ILCS 5/13-202). The Circuit Court of Cook County hears injury suits over $100,000 in its Law Division at the Daley Center, 50 W. Washington Street, Room 2600, Chicago, IL 60602; the Clerk of the Circuit Court lists five suburban district courthouses (Skokie, Rolling Meadows, Maywood, Bridgeview and Markham) for civil suits up to $100,000. To talk it through, send the form on this page and we will work to connect you with an attorney in our network.
Getting hurt rarely comes at a convenient time. You may be in pain, missing work and answering calls from an insurance company while trying to learn what you are owed. If your injury in Evanston was someone else’s doing, start with the basics below and go at your own pace.
NeedAnAttorney.net is a matching service. It does not give legal advice about your case. What follows is general information about Illinois injury law, taken from the text of the statutes, so you know which questions to ask. The form at the top of the page connects you with an attorney when you are ready.
Before You Hire: Questions For An Evanston Attorney
Bring these to your first call, whoever it is with:
- The date. Ask for the specific last day to file in your case. The general rule is two years (735 ILCS 5/13-202).
- Limits on damages. Ask whether any rule restricts the amount you could recover in Illinois.
- Your share of fault. Ask how a finding that you were partly responsible would change the numbers (735 ILCS 5/2-1116).
- The people. Ask who will be in touch with you and how quickly they return calls.
- Fees and costs. Ask what the fee is, when it is paid, and which expenses are deducted from a settlement.
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 Evanston? Get matched with an attorney now.
How Fault Is Divided
Whether you can recover in Illinois depends on how much of the fault is assigned to you. 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.
How Damages Are Measured
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.
Time Limits To Know
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). The type of claim decides the date, so do not wait.
The Court and Hospitals Behind an Evanston Claim
Evanston lies in Cook County, according to Census Bureau place and county names. The Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County lists five suburban district courthouses (Skokie, Rolling Meadows, Maywood, Bridgeview and Markham) for civil suits up to $100,000, and the Law Division at 50 W. Washington Street, Room 2600, Chicago, IL 60602 for larger suits. In Evanston, the Illinois Department of Public Health, EMS and Trauma Program list of trauma centers names NorthShore Evanston Hospital as a Level I trauma center. In Evanston, that list names Prime Healthcare St. Francis Hospital as a Level I trauma center.
Measured in a straight line from Evanston, the nearest Illinois acute care and critical access hospitals in the federal Hospital General Information file are NorthShore University HealthSystem Evanston Hospital in Evanston, 1.5 miles, an acute care hospital, then Saint Francis Hospital-Evanston in Evanston, 1.7 miles, an acute care hospital, then Swedish Hospital in Chicago, 4.9 miles, an acute care hospital. NorthShore University HealthSystem Evanston Hospital is at 2650 Ridge Ave, Evanston, IL 60201.
Road distance from Evanston is longer than a straight line. Wherever you were treated, ask for the full records and an itemized bill, and keep a list of every visit.
The file also lists Thorek Memorial Hospital Andersonville (listed by CMS as Methodist Hospital of Chicago) in Chicago at 5.2 miles and Thorek Memorial Hospital in Chicago at 6.7 miles. Counting Illinois acute care and critical access hospitals in a straight line from Evanston: 11 within 10 miles, 46 within 25 miles, 63 within 50 miles.
Closest to Evanston among the places this site covers are Skokie, 2.5 miles west; Des Plaines, 10.6 miles west; and Mount Prospect, 12.5 miles west. Chicago is 14 miles south of Evanston and Springfield is 186 miles southwest.
Getting Started With Your Claim In Evanston
Use the form at the top of the page to tell us what happened. NeedAnAttorney.net reviews your details and works to match you with an attorney in our network who may handle cases in Illinois. There is no charge to submit it, and submitting it does not hire anyone.
While you wait, write down what happened and when, who saw it, what treatment you have received and how many days of work you missed. Put bills, letters and insurance messages in one folder.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much can I recover for pain and suffering in Illinois?
Pain and suffering is proved by the facts of your case, so ask which rules, if any, apply to your claim. The bills, the missed work and the lasting effects drive the amount. The facts of your claim drive the amount.
Does Illinois require drivers to carry liability insurance?
Liability coverage of at least $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for injuries (625 ILCS 5/7-203). Those figures are floors, not a measure of what a claim is worth. Ask an attorney to check every policy that may apply.
What is the nearest hospital to Evanston?
On the federal list the nearest Illinois acute care or critical access hospital is NorthShore University HealthSystem Evanston Hospital in Evanston (1.5 miles, straight line), then Saint Francis Hospital-Evanston in Evanston (1.7 miles) and Swedish Hospital in Chicago (4.9 miles). In an emergency call 911; not every hospital has an emergency room.
Which nearby places does this site cover besides Evanston?
Closest by straight line are Skokie (2.5 miles west), Des Plaines (10.6 miles west) and Mount Prospect (12.5 miles west).
Will I be charged for sending my information?
Nothing. The form costs you nothing. 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.
Will my claim be over in a few weeks?
Timing depends on your recovery and the other side. Insurers usually want records of the whole course of treatment. It can take months, and longer if a lawsuit is filed.
How long do I have to file an injury lawsuit in Illinois?
For most injury claims, two years (735 ILCS 5/13-202). A child can have extra time, and so can a few other limited situations (735 ILCS 5/13-211(a)). An early start protects the evidence.
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). Insurers often raise this point first. An attorney can explain how the rule fits your facts.
Help Elsewhere in Illinois
The same matching service covers more of Illinois. Pick the community closest to where it happened.
