Instantly Connect For Your Personal Injury Consultation When Filling Out Form
Your Fairview Heights 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 Fairview Heights, it is reasonable to want a clear picture before you decide anything.
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 Fairview Heights
A short list of questions can sort out who is right for you:
- Your share of fault. Ask how a finding that you were partly responsible would change the numbers (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.
- 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.
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 Fairview Heights? Get matched with an attorney now.
What Shared Blame Means For You
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.
Limits On What You Can Recover
Illinois does not put a general statutory ceiling on damages for an injury. What you can recover turns on the bills, the missed work and the lasting effects.
Ask an attorney which special rules, if any, reach your case.
How Long You Have To File
Illinois allows two years to file most injury claims (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). Write down the date of the injury now so the count is never in doubt.
Courts and Hospitals Near Fairview Heights
The Census Bureau places Fairview Heights in St. Clair County. St. Clair County’s 20th circuit court is listed in Belleville, at 10 Public Square, Belleville, IL 62220. Touchette Regional Hospital Inc in Centreville, in St. Clair County, appears in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Hospital General Information file as an acute care hospital with emergency services. In St. Clair County, that file lists Memorial Hospital in Belleville as an acute care hospital with emergency services.
Measured in a straight line from Fairview Heights, the nearest Illinois acute care and critical access hospitals in the federal Hospital General Information file are Memorial Hospital in Belleville, 3.3 miles, an acute care hospital, then HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in O’Fallon, 4.0 miles, an acute care hospital, then Touchette Regional Hospital in Centreville, 5.8 miles, an acute care hospital. Memorial Hospital is at 4500 Memorial Drive, Belleville, IL 62226.
Road distance from Fairview Heights 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.
Fourth and fifth on the list are Anderson Hospital in Maryville, 10.3 miles, and Gateway Regional Medical Center in Granite City, 10.5 miles. Within 10, 25 and 50 miles of Fairview Heights the file shows 3, 8 and 20 Illinois acute care and critical access hospitals, by straight line.
Other places this site covers near Fairview Heights: Belleville at 5.5 miles south, Collinsville at 5.6 miles north, East St. Louis at 6.9 miles west. Chicago is 255 miles northeast of Fairview Heights and Springfield is 85 miles north.
Where To Begin After An Injury In Fairview Heights
The form at the top of this page is the starting point. NeedAnAttorney.net reviews your details and works to match you with an attorney in our network who may handle cases in Illinois. It costs nothing to use and does not commit you to anything.
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 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). Your own policy may add coverage. Check uninsured and underinsured coverage on your own policy.
What is the nearest hospital to Fairview Heights?
On the federal list the nearest Illinois acute care or critical access hospital is Memorial Hospital in Belleville (3.3 miles, straight line), then HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in O’Fallon (4.0 miles) and Touchette Regional Hospital in Centreville (5.8 miles). In an emergency call 911; not every hospital has an emergency room.
Which other places near Fairview Heights does this site cover?
By Census coordinates the nearest are Belleville, 5.5 miles south; Collinsville, 5.6 miles north; and East St. Louis, 6.9 miles west, all in a straight line from Fairview Heights.
Does the form commit me to hiring anyone?
There is no fee for the form. Fees vary, and many injury cases are taken on contingency. Get the terms in writing.
What court would handle a case from Fairview Heights?
It depends on who is being sued and how much is claimed. Ask the attorney you speak with to name the court and explain why. The state judiciary’s court listing, described above, shows where its local courts are.
When must an injury lawsuit be filed in Illinois?
Within two years for most injury claims (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). How the blame is assigned matters. Keep notes about how the injury happened.
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 amount depends on the facts of your claim. Ask an attorney whether any rule reaches your claim.
Serving Injured Clients Across Illinois
NeedAnAttorney.net connects injured people throughout Illinois with attorneys who handle cases in their area.
