First, gather witness information and photos and/or video of the accident site if you are safely able to do so. If necessary, contact the police or other emergency personnel to address your injuries as soon as possible. 

You should also exchange insurance information with the other driver(s). But most importantly, DO NOT sign anything for the other party’s insurance representatives.  DO NOT give the other party’s insurance representatives a recorded statement.

If you have a claim, there are many reasons why you should seek out the experience and advice of a personal injury lawyer. 

The right lawyer can make a difference in the amount of compensation you will recover from your claim. Insurance carriers and other big business defendants have a team of lawyers looking out for their interests.  They will not voluntarily give you what you are entitled to.  In fact, it is the job of insurance adjusters to get you to settle for as little as possible. VanDerGinst Law has the experience to get you the compensation to which you are entitled.

If you’ve been injured, the last thing you want to do is deal with insurance and medical paperwork.  You need to focus on recuperating from your injuries. VanDerGinst Law will take care of the stressful part.

We make opening a file as easy and convenient as possible. We collect the necessary evidence to pursue your case. We conduct the investigation. We deal with the insurance people and medical providers, and coordinate any benefits that might apply to your case. And we negotiate to get you the best possible outcome.

Even better, there is no financial risk in contacting VanDerGinst Law. If we don’t win your injury case and get you compensation, you won’t owe us anything!

If you were injured in an accident and required any type of treatment or attention to those injuries, your accident probably warrants the attention of a personal injury lawyer as well. We suggest that you contact VanDerGinst Law as soon as possible after getting the initial medical care necessary to address your injuries. 

• Do not wait until you are done treating.
• Do not wait until you have spoken to insurance representatives or adjusters.
• Do not wait until you get tired of negotiating on your own.

Why? If you wait, it may be too late. Important documentation could be lost. Witnesses’ memories might not be as reliable. You could make decisions or take Adjusters set tentative values on injury claims at a very early stage.  An experienced injury attorney can ensure that those values are much greater than they would be with no attorney working on your behalf. Witness statements and evidence often needs to be secured early in the investigation. A good lawyer will also advise you against signing medical authorization or giving recorded statements.

Most personal injury claims can be resolved without having to file a lawsuit. At VanDerGinst Law, we have a long history of proving our devotion to our clients.  Insurance companies know that. They know we will do everything in our power to get the best results for our clients – even if that means filing a lawsuit.

Your injury case may not proceed all the way to a trial, even if it’s necessary to file a lawsuit.

On average, 95% of all injury cases are settled before going to trial. During trial preparations, each side becomes more familiar with their particular strengths and weaknesses. This often results in a settlement.

At VanDerGinst Law, we work all cases as if they will go to trial. That way we can be prepared to get the best settlements for our clients.

There are many elements that impact a personal injury case value.

These include the type of accident, the nature, extent and duration of your injuries and treatment needs, the impact of your injuries on your ability to work and earn income, the nature of the defendant and their insurance and/or assets, and other considerations. 

If an attorney tells you what your case is worth after a brief conversation about your injuries, they are either misinformed or misleading you.

Pain and suffering includes harm caused by physical injury and mental distress related to the accident and injuries.

At VanDerGinst Law, we handle personal injury cases on a contingent fee basis. If we don’t get you money for your injuries, there is NO ATTORNEY FEE. You will never be out of pocket a dime. We do not get paid unless and until you do. 

Our fee is a percentage of the amount recovered. The percentage depends on the type of case we handle and whether the case must be litigated. But it is never more than 40% of the recovery and is usually between 20% and one-third of the total recovered amount.

The statute of limitations is the law that sets the time in which a person must file a lawsuit.  In Illinois, that time is generally two years from the date of the injury. 

If you don’t file a lawsuit within the applicable time, you are forever excluded from doing so. So it’s a good idea to get VanDerGinst Law in your corner as soon as possible.

Illinois recognizes something known as “Modified Comparative Fault”. Under the Modified Comparative Fault System, each party is responsible for damages in proportion to their own percentage of fault pro-rata, unless the plaintiff’s negligence reaches 51%. 

If you are partly at fault, your compensation will be reduced by the proportionate percentage of fault.  However, if you are 51% or more to blame, then you are not entitled to compensation.

For example, if a reasonable award were determined to be $100,000 but you were 40% at fault, your award would be reduced by 40% so that you would receive $60,000.

If you were injured due to someone else’s negligence, the responsible party is required to pay the costs for all bills for reasonable and necessary treatment, including medical bills, chiropractic bills, dental bills, physical therapy bills and any other similar costs. 

Sometimes the party responsible for causing an injury accident does not have insurance to pay for the damages – or does not have enough insurance. When that happens, VanDerGinst Law leaves no stone unturned to see if a compensation source can be identified.

Sometimes we can find employers and other sources who may be liable. Sometimes we can turn to our client’s own uninsured or underinsured insurance coverage. Sometimes we determine the responsible party has ample assets available outside of insurance. 

We do everything we can to make sure you are compensated for your injuries.