A personal injury attorney, often simply referred to as an injury attorney is a legal professional that represents the interests of clients who are victims of actions and accidents which were the result of negligence on the part of another person or entity. A Chicago personal injury attorney might be called upon to represent someone who slipped and fell as a result of a slippery floor in a store; other clients may have been injured in an automobile accident while still others may have suffered harm as a result of a malfunctioning product they purchased.
A Chicago personal injury attorney deals with tort. A tort is a wrong that causes someone to suffer loss or injury as a result of a tortuous act. While it is true that some torts may result in imprisonment the greatest majority are settled in civil court when the injured party sues the negligent party for monetary damages. Although many personal injuries are indeed injuries inflicted on a person this is not always the case, damage to a person’s property as well as his or her reputation are also handled by a personal injury attorney. As the breadth of what constitutes personal injury is so wide, may personal injury attorneys tend to specialize in certain area. Some attorneys will deal with medical malpractice suits on behalf of a single client or bring a class action suit on behalf of a number of litigants. Other examples of specialization may be birth injuries or brain injuries, both of which are fraught with complex legal issues.
As not all personal injury attorneys deal with every type of case it is of utmost importance that a potential client inquires about the types of cases a potential attorney handles. A Chicago personal injury attorney is liable to offer his or her services on a contingency basis which simply means that they will not receive any legal fee if they fail to win your case; they only receive a fee which is a negotiated percentage of the award if they are successful. This arrangement does have a number of variables in it so it is important to discuss fees and costs prior to any agreements.
Not all cases end up in a court room; a goodly number of lawsuits are settled out of court. A question that should be broached prior to engaging a Chicago personal injury attorney is whether he will abide by your decision if you are happy with a settlement that is proposed by the other side rather than take the case to trial. Finding the right personal injury attorney for your particular situation may take some research on your part but it is time well worth spending.
If you have suffered injury you will want to hire a Chicago personal injury attorney to purse a case on your behalf. Browse our site Shea Law Group.
