AAA Auto
Insurance Lawyers

Personal Injury Lawyers Handling Accident Claims for AAA Clients throughout the Greater Chicago, IL Area

The American Automobile Association (AAA) has over 56 million members in North America. While the group’s services transcend auto insurance (it is better known for its roadside assistance services), most clubs operate their own auto insurance agencies that allow customers to purchase insurance through certain companies, such as Auto Club Enterprises Insurance Group, that were established specifically to serve AAA members. The AAA may have served you well in the past – when you were broken down on the highway and needed a tow, for example. When it comes to an auto accident claim, however, the dynamics of an AAA claim work the same way they do with any other insurance company. AAA is a business, not a charity, and in order to profit, it must minimize its expenditures. Since paying out a claim is obviously an expenditure, you can expect the same treatment from an AAA-affiliated auto insurance company as you can from any other insurance company. And that means your interests are fundamentally in opposition to each other – you are seeking money, and they are seeking to minimize their business expenditures, including the amount of your claim. Since auto insurance companies are professionals at what they do, and since negotiating auto accident claims is a large part of what every auto insurance company does, you are at a built-in disadvantage unless you negotiate auto insurance claims for a living – or unless you hire someone who does. At Malman Law, personal injury law is what we do all day, every day. We have been doing it full-time for decades, and we bring home a verdict or settlement for our client 95 percent of the time. We realize that you may need money quickly. Although we are certainly not inclined to accept a low settlement offer from an insurance company simply to achieve a settlement as soon as possible, we will be aiming for the quickest possible resolution of your claim as long as you are fully compensated. We are not afraid, however, to duke it out in a courtroom if the other side insists on being stubborn. Our success in courtroom litigation, however, has earned us a reputation that discourages insurance companies from forcing us to sue in the first place – which is why the vast majority of our clients’ claims are settled out of court. “Two years ago I was involved in a trucking accident involving a 14-wheeler truck that nearly disabled me for life. Steve fought to make sure that I received the most possible compensation for my injuries. I was about to take the insurance company’s lowball offer, but decided to call Steve first — it was the best decision I’ve made yet.” – Malman Law Client

Practice Areas

• Personal injury: A personal injury claim can arise from any injury you suffer that was someone else’s fault. Normally, a personal injury arises from the negligence of the defendant. Nevertheless, an intentional injury such as an assault or a “road rage” incident can give rise to a personal injury claim.
• Nursing home abuse: Illinois hosts over 1,200 nursing homes. Although most nursing home professionals are competent and well-intentioned, incidents of nursing home abuse occur all too frequently. Unfortunately, it sometimes takes an investigation to trace a resident’s problem to staff abuse.
• Assisted living facilities: Injuries caused by the negligence of staff in assisted living facilities is all too common in Chicago as well as the rest of Illinois. Some of the most common injuries include broken bones and hip fractures, bedsores, and medication errors. Distressingly, incidents of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse are known to occur.
• Vehicle accidents: Cars, trucks, motorcycles, and bicycles often collide with each other and with pedestrians. In most cases, the accident didn’t “just happen” – it was someone’s fault. When the injured party and the person at fault are not the same person, justice demands a remedy.
• Workers’ compensation: Workers’ compensation is designed to cover work-related injuries, regardless of who was at fault. While damages are more limited than in other types of personal injuries, liability is often easier to prove. Moreover, some work-related injuries can be pursued as ordinary personal injury claims.
• Medical malpractice: It is frightening to remind yourself that the doctors into whose hands we place our lives can make errors. While not every medical error amounts to malpractice, in some cases a doctor’s conduct falls below the minimum professional standard, justifying compensation for the patient who has been harmed.
• Slip and fall accidents: Slip and fall accidents are among the most common types of injury accidents, and they can be among the most serious, especially if the victim is elderly. Liability is particularly likely to arise when the owner or lessee of a commercial establishment fails to ensure the safety of customers.
• Product liability: When you are injured by a defective product, you are entitled to compensation from the manufacturer or distributor, even if the product in question did not belong to you. Malfunctioning auto parts and defective drugs trigger a significant proportion of product liability claims.
• Dog bites: Dog bites send thousands to the emergency room every year, and these injuries account for about one-third of all homeowner’s insurance claims. Fortunately for victims, Illinois holds dog owners strictly liable (liable without fault) for injuries caused by their dog.
• Wrongful death: A wrongful death claim is the type of claim you file when the victim of a personal injury dies in the accident. It is filed by the personal representative of the victim’s probate estate, and is normally a close relative. Damages go to close relatives and the victim’s estate.