A drunk driving accident lawyer can make all the difference after being injured in a serious collision with an intoxicated driver. Drunk driving accidents often have devastating consequences for victims and their families. This includes consequences that are both financial and non-financial in nature. Accident victims and their families have the right to just compensation for all of these consequences under Illinois law, and they can assert their rights effectively with the help of an experienced drunk driving accident lawyer.
If you have a claim for a drunk driving accident in Illinois, the following are just some of the ways an experienced lawyer can help maximize your compensation:
Even in drunk driving accident cases, the insurance companies will still try to avoid liability by all means available. In many cases, this will include blaming victims for their own injuries. Under Illinois law, the insurance companies can reduce victims’ compensation awards when they are between 1% and 49% responsible for their own injuries, and the insurance companies can deny compensation entirely when the percentage of fault apportioned to a victim is 50% or more.
Your lawyer can help ensure that the insurance companies do not blame you or your loved one unfairly.
While blaming victims is a common insurance defense tactic, this tactic can be overcome with clear evidence of liability. If the evidence clearly shows that the drunk driver was 100% at fault in the accident, your lawyer can use this to seek full compensation. The key is to hire a lawyer as soon as possible so that your lawyer can preserve the available evidence before it disappears.
In drunk driving accident cases, accident victims’ long-term costs can far exceed their costs through the date of their settlement or verdict. This makes it critical to ensure that you have a clear understanding of the total costs you are entitled to recover. Your lawyer can use his or her experience (and work with medical experts as necessary) to seek maximum compensation for your:
While some states limit the compensatory damages accident victims can recover, Illinois does not. As a result, if you have a drunk driving accident claim, your lawyer can help you seek full compensation for your future costs—no matter how substantial these costs might be.
In addition to seeking full compensation for your financial costs, your drunk driving accident lawyer can seek full compensation for your non-financial costs as well. But, the first step is proving the costs you are entitled to recover. Typical non-financial costs in drunk driving accident cases include:
By working with you and your medical providers to thoroughly document these costs, your lawyer can ensure that he or she is seeking maximum compensation on your behalf. Here, too, there are no caps on how much victims can recover—which means that you can (and should) seek the full compensation you deserve.
Regardless of how much you are entitled to recover, maximizing your compensation will involve dealing with the insurance companies. When you hire an experienced drunk driving accident lawyer, your lawyer will deal with the insurance companies for you. This way, you can avoid falling victim to their defense tactics, and you can feel confident that you are seeking the maximum compensation available.
While most successful drunk driving accident claims end with confidential insurance settlements, victims and their families do need to go to court in some cases. If going to court is what it takes to maximize your compensation, your lawyer will be fully prepared to fight for your rights at trial. Your lawyer will present evidence of liability and damages to the judge or jury; and, if your case does not settle before closing arguments, your lawyer will clearly explain why you deserve to be fully compensated for the consequences of the defendant’s decision to drink and drive.
When drivers choose to get behind the wheel while intoxicated, they jeopardize the safety and well-being of everyone on the road. If you were injured by a drunk driver, you shouldn’t face your hardships alone. The Chicago drunk driving accident lawyers at Coplan + Crane are committed to helping accident victims recover the compensation they deserve after a crash.
Contact Coplan + Crane today online or at 708-358-8080 to schedule a FREE case evaluation. We welcome clients from across Illinois, including Chicago, Oak Park, Rockford, and other areas. We handle these cases on a contingency basis, which means you don’t pay unless we win.
