American Family Insurance

World-Class Personal Injury Lawyers Assisting with Client Insurance Claims throughout Greater Chicago

American Family Insurance, also known as AmFam, is a comprehensive insurance company that earns billions of dollars in revenue every year.  AmFam has been generous in its charitable contributions, setting up a children’s hospital in 2003 and donating $1 million to the United Way through its employees in both 2007 and 2008.

If you are considering filing a claim against an AmFam auto insurance policy, all of this generosity might tempt you to think of AmFam as a charity. Nevertheless, it remains a for-profit business – every dime it pays out in claims is a dime out of its profits, due to the inherent conflict of interest that is built into its business model. Expect resistance, not charity, when you file a claim.

Malman Law’s Zero Fee Guarantee

At Malman Law, personal injury attorneys, we don’t play the conflict of interest game. If you retain us, our relationship will be structured so that you won’t have to pay any upfront fees, and you will never owe us any money for our services unless we bring home compensation for you. Even then, the amount of our compensation will be proportionate to yours – making it in our interest to bring home as much as we can for you.

Keeping Your Claim Out of Court

We will do our utmost to negotiate a quick out-of-court settlement with AmFam, so that you can be fully compensated as soon as possible. Eventually, of course, a settlement is all but inevitable – our litigation skills are so well-known among insurance companies that they settle with us 95 percent of the time rather than face us in court. Nevertheless, we will go to trial if necessary.

What Our Clients Say

• “This firm has gone above and beyond to keep me updated and get answers to my questions at any time, weekends included! Malman Law rules in my opinion!” – Cheryl Wagemann
• “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

Types of Cases We Handle

Vehicle accidents: Over a thousand people die on Illinois roads each year, and many thousands more are injured. Most of these accidents are someone’s fault. If that someone isn’t you, then you have a personal injury claim. If the victim dies, eligible close relatives might have a wrongful death claim.

Nursing home abuse: Chicago hosts dozens of nursing homes. Although most of them are safe places, a number of nursing home abuse incidents occur every year. In many cases, nursing home abuse can be established by proving the violation of one of the many state and federal regulations that apply to nursing homes.

Workers’ compensation: Illinois Workers’ Compensation is designed to compensate workers suffering from work-related injuries. Although it is not necessary to prove fault to win, damages can be limited compared to ordinary personal injury cases. In some cases, damages limitations can be evaded, such as when a third party is found to be partly or wholly at fault.

Medical malpractice: Medical malpractice is a frightening topic, because of the incredible trust we are forced to place in doctors. Unfortunately, medical malpractice happens far more often than most people realize. Although winning a medical malpractice claim takes skill, experience, and dedication, the compensation can be immense in cases of serious harm.

Slip and fall accidents: Slip and fall accidents occur with more frequency than any other type of personal injury claim except for vehicle accidents, and they can be particularly devastating to the elderly.  When the accident occurs in a business establishment, or even while you are a guest in someone else’s home, civil liability is a real possibility.

Product liability: A product liability claim arises when you are injured by a defective and unreasonably dangerous product – whether it be an automobile airbag, a prescription drug, or a medical device. It is possible to win a lawsuit against the manufacturer without proving fault.

Dog bites: Illinois dog bite law holds a dog owner strictly liable for the aggressive behavior of the dog, even without negligence on the owner’s part. Even if the dog owner cannot afford to pay a claim, many homeowner’s insurance and renter’s insurance policies pay out on dog bite claims. The average payout is in the tens of thousands of dollars.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1) Can I win a claim against a driver whose skills were impaired because he or she was under the influence of a legal substance, such as cold medicine?

Yes, this is definitely possible. The central issues in such a case would be whether the driver had reason to know that he or she was unfit to drive.

2) What are some of the indicators of negligence in a car accident?

Some of the most common indicators are:

• The driver violated a traffic law at the time of the accident
• The driver was distracted (by texting, for example)
• The driver was intoxicated
• The vehicle suffered an equipment malfunction
• The driver was driving too fast for the conditions

3) How will I pay medical bills while I am waiting for my claim to be resolved?

Normally, your automobile or health insurer will pay your medical bills during this time, and it will place a lien on any future verdict or settlement. You may be able to convince the hospital to accept a lien in lieu of immediate payment.

4) Can my child file a lawsuit in his or her own name?

No, not if the child is under 18 at the time of the lawsuit. Normally, a parent or legal guardian will file a lawsuit on the child’s behalf. In some cases, the court will appoint a representative to file the lawsuit.

5) Can I sue a pedestrian who caused my car accident?

Yes, you can. Such cases can be hard to win sometimes, due to pedestrian’s general right-of-way. Some of the most common cases in which you can win involve:

• Jaywalking
• Intoxication
• Walking in a highway emergency lane

6) Which medical expenses can be denied by an insurance company?

An insurance company can get away with denying portions of your medical expenses if they:

• are not associated with the accident;
• are unnecessary or excessive;
• are not approved by your treating physician; or
• exceed the total amount of medical expenses you are claiming.

7) My damages exceed the defendant’s policy limits. Is there anyone else I can claim against?

Potential alternative sources of compensation include:

• Your own insurance policy (depending on its terms)
• The defendant’s personal assets
• The defendant’s employer (in certain cases)
• The defendant’s umbrella policy
• The manufacturer of a defective product, such as a brake drum

8) What are some common mistakes I should watch out for while resolving my claim?

Some of the most common claim resolution pitfalls include:

• Lying (insurance companies will jump on this!)
• Accepting a settlement without consulting with your attorney first
• Waiting before seeking medical attention
• Talking to other people about your case

9) Is it possible to receive compensation for a single-vehicle accident?

Yes, under certain circumstances. The road may have been poorly maintained, for example; the accident could have been caused by a defective auto part; or another vehicle could have run you off the road, even if it didn’t actually collide with you.

10) Can I file a claim over a “road rage” incident in which the defendant intentionally caused the accident?

Yes, you certainly can. You might even be able to collect punitive damages in addition to compensatory damages. Collecting punitive damages could be difficult, however, if the defendant’s insurance policy doesn’t cover them.

Experience is the Factor That Wins Cases

The profession of law is not like the profession of medicine. A lawyer straight out of law school can hang up a shingle and advertise as a “personal injury lawyer” with no internship, no residency, and no case experience. The personal injury attorneys at Malman Law, by contrast, have been doing our job for over two decades.

We have won hundreds of millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements for over 20,000 clients. All told, this adds up to a legal batting average of .950 (a 95 percent victory rate) and quite a number of multimillion dollar verdicts. There isn’t much that can happen in your case that we haven’t seen many, many times before.

The First Step Towards Victory is Yours

If you have been involved in an accident and you believe that you might have an AmFam auto insurance claim in Greater Chicago, call us today or contact us online for your free no-obligation initial case consultation. We will have someone standing by to respond to you 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. If you are too injured to come to us, we will come to see you in the hospital, at your home, or at a place of your choosing.