When you are thinking about hiring a car accident law firm in Rockford, we know you have many choices! So, why choose Malman Law?
Here are a few reasons why we stand out as the Rockford car accident lawyers to represent you:
Here are some of the most common types of auto accidents involved in claims:
After any type of auto accident, seek immediate medical attention and then consult with our experienced car accident attorneys in Rockford. We can help protect your rights and guide you through the legal process to recover the compensation you deserve.
After a car accident in Rockford, one of the first things you’ll need to consider is whether or not to talk to an attorney before contacting the insurance company. While it may be tempting to handle the situation on your own, seeking legal advice can greatly benefit you in the long run.
Insurance companies are well-versed in handling accident claims and have teams of adjusters and lawyers working on their behalf. Their main goal is to save money and pay out as little as possible for your claim. Unfortunately, this means that they may try to take advantage of your lack of legal knowledge and offer you a lower settlement than you deserve.
By consulting with our attorneys before speaking to the insurance company, you can ensure that someone has your interests in mind. Our experienced Rockford car accident attorneys understand how auto insurance claims work and will evaluate the true value of your claim. We are ready to negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf, fighting for the maximum compensation you deserve.
Additionally, insurance companies may try to trick you into providing statements or signing documents that could potentially harm your case. Without legal guidance, you may unknowingly say or do something that could jeopardize your chances of receiving full compensation. Even a single conversation or comment can set your claim off course.
Our lawyers at Malman Law can handle the process, advising you on what to say and do to protect your interests. You never have to worry about saying the wrong thing once we are on your side.
We highly recommend talking to an attorney before contacting the insurance company after a car accident. Don’t let the insurance company take advantage of you – speak with Malman Law for free today.
It’s natural to wonder about the average car accident settlement as a sign of what you might expect to receive. However, each case is unique, so settlement amounts can vary greatly depending on factors such as the severity of injuries, medical expenses, property damage, and lost wages.
There is no fixed average settlement for car accidents. The amount of compensation you receive will depend on the specific circumstances of your case. Our Rockford car accident attorneys will evaluate your specific losses and seek compensation based on what you deserve – not based on what anyone else has received.
We will consider the extent of your injuries, the impact on your daily life, and any future medical care that may be required. We will also consider the financial losses you have incurred, such as medical bills and lost wages.
You can trust our team at Malman Law to seek fair compensation for your claim, regardless of other cases.
Car accidents can have devastating consequences, causing physical injuries, emotional trauma, and financial strain. If you have been involved in a car accident on the Illinois roads, it is crucial to understand your rights and seek the help of an experienced attorney.
Car accidents often lead to a variety of injuries, including:
These injuries can have long-lasting effects on your physical and emotional well-being, requiring extensive medical treatment and rehabilitation. If someone else caused your accident, their insurance should cover the costs of your injuries, including your medical bills and all other expenses and losses you incurred.
At Malman Law, we represent clients with a wide range of injuries, so discuss your condition and losses with our Rockford car accident attorneys today. Never assume your injury is too serious or minor for a free consultation.
Car accidents can be traumatic and life-altering events, causing physical injuries, emotional distress, and financial hardship. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to reduce your risk of getting into a car accident.
By following some tips, you can increase your safety on the road and hopefully protect yourself and others.
Remember, accidents can still happen even if you take all precautions. If you find yourself involved in a car accident, always consult with our Rockford car accident attorneys at Malman Law promptly. We can assess what happened and advise you of your legal rights.
We hope you stay safe on the roads and drive defensively!
Driver negligence is the most common cause of car crashes in Rockford, which can include:
If another driver is dangerous and causes your accident, don’t hesitate to reach out to our trusted lawyers. Malman Law can provide you with the guidance and support you need during this challenging time. We hold negligent drivers accountable for the avoidable harm they cause.
It’s normal to be confused after a crash, but it’s important to take the necessary steps to protect yourself. The first and most important step is to seek medical attention, even if you don’t think you’re seriously injured. Some injuries may not become apparent until later, so it’s crucial to get checked out by a professional. Once you’ve taken care of your health, don’t wait to contact a trusted attorney from Malman Law.
We have won over 15 million from vehicle accident cases, including truck accidents in the Chicago area. With a free initial case evaluation, we can help explain what your truck accident case would involve and what to expect from it.
Steven J. Malman
President and Founder
If you have been involved in an accident and you find yourself looking for a car accident attorney near your location that has the experience and knowledge of representing car accident victims, Malman Law is your first option. Call today for a free initial case evaluation.
With over 30 years of experience serving the Rockford area and surrounding communities, we have the experience to guide you through the claim process and seek fair compensation for your injuries.
Remember, time is of the essence when it comes to these legal matters. The sooner you contact our Rockford car accident attorneys, the sooner we can start building your case and gathering evidence.
Don’t wait to seek the help you need. Call Malman Law today and let our experienced attorneys fight for your rights.
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Answers to some of the most common personal injury questions we’re asked.
Even if the car accident was partly your fault, this doesn’t mean that you automatically lose your case. Under Illinois comparative fault principles, as long as you were 50 percent or less at fault for the accident, you can still recover damages (though they will be reduced). How much they will be reduced by depends on the extent of your fault. If the court decides that you were 25 percent at fault, for example, it will calculate your damages as it would if you were not at fault, and then subtract 25 percent from the total.
As an example, if you are involved in an auto accident in Chicago that causes you $100,000 in damages and causes the other driver $50,000 in damages, and if the court rules that the other driver was 75 percent at fault and you were 25 percent at fault, the court will calculate your damages as follows: [$100,000 – (25 percent times $100,000)] = ($100,000 – $25,000) = $75,000. The other driver will be entitled to nothing, since he or she was more than 50 percent at fault.
Many truck accidents in Chicago involve drivers using commercial driver’s licenses. This could affect your case in two ways – (i) how easy it is to prove the other driver’s fault, and (ii) who you can sue for damages.
If the commercial driver had been drinking alcohol prior to the accident, you could use this against him or her, even if the blood alcohol concentration (BAC ) was lower than the legal limit for non-commercial drivers (most drivers are subject to a legal limit of 0.08 percent, while commercial drivers are subject to a legal limit of 0.04 percent). Once it is established that the driver’s BAC was at least 0.04 percent and that this level of intoxication was a substantial cause of the accident, you could use negligence per se principles to have him or her declared automatically negligent.
Regardless of whether or not the commercial driver had been drinking, if he or she were liable for the accident and had been driving as an employee in the line of duty, you can usually sue the company for all of this liability. This could be important if the driver lacks the financial means to pay a judgment.
You may be required to provide a certain amount of cooperation to your own insurance company. You are not obligated, however, to provide any kind of statement to the other driver’s insurance company, and you are not obligated to turn over your medical records. You should consult with your attorney before even providing a statement to your own insurance company.
Remember that when you are making a claim, the insurance company is your adversary, even your own insurance company, since they make money by maximizing their intake from premiums and minimizing their payment of claims. Further, insurance company adjusters, whose job it is to save their employers money, are experts in asking questions in a manner so as to induce you to make statements that they can use against you later – by denying liability altogether, asserting that the accident was partly your fault, or minimizing the amount they have to pay out on your claim.
It is routine for an insurance company to deny liability, even when the driver they insured is liable. In fact, you can expect an initial denial of liability in all but the most clear-cut cases of liability, such as when the police report clearly indicates that the other driver was at fault. Treat a denial of liability like an initial bargaining position – as the starting point of negotiations, not the end. As long as you have a good Illinois car accident attorney on your side, there is no reason why an initial denial of liability couldn’t mature into a generous settlement offer down the road.
As long as you can prove a physical injury, you should be able to recover for “pain and suffering,” which is based on the amount of physical pain that you suffered. In cases of serious injury, the amount you recover for pain and suffering could end up to be far more than the amount you recover for medical bills. Other types of intangible non-economic damages, such as mental anguish damages, might apply if you suffered a serious debilitating injury. If you suffered no physical injury, however, you cannot recover for these types of damages, no matter how badly the accident “shook you up.”
Not necessarily, but it might. Only an experienced car accident attorney in Chicago can answer this question. The key issue when a DUI is involved is whether or not the vehicle accident was actually caused by the DUI. If you were intoxicated while driving the speed limit and a speeding driver rear-ended you, for example, it would be difficult for the other driver to argue that your DUI actually caused the accident. If the court rules that the other driver’s speeding rather than your intoxication caused the auto accident, the other driver will be liable to pay you damages, while you will be liable for nothing (except perhaps a DUI charge).
The principle of causation applies no matter how the accident happened – a defendant’s misconduct will not give rise to liability unless it actually causes an accident.
In fact, most car accident cases are resolved through out-of-court settlements (usually with an insurance company). The problem is that adequate settlement offers usually don’t come quickly, and settlement offers that come quickly are usually inadequate. In many cases, you might have to file a lawsuit in order to pressure the other side to issue an adequate settlement offer.
There are two common tactics that you need to watch out for: (i) allowing yourself to be seduced by a quick but low settlement offer, and (ii) allowing the other party to trick you into missing the statute of limitations deadline for filing a lawsuit. Indeed, you might be forced to file a lawsuit in order to beat the statute of limitations deadline. Remember that a settlement agreement can be reached at any time prior to the final verdict (even five minutes before!). This is why it’s imperative that you have an experienced Chicago car accident law firm on your side.
It depends. If you have uninsured motorist coverage (not required in Illinois), then it simply means that you will have to make your claim against your own insurance policy. If you don’t have uninsured motorist coverage, on the other hand, you could end up with a problem. You will likely have to sue the other driver directly, and there is no guarantee that the other driver will possess the personal resources to pay out your claim.
Of course, you might get lucky if you were hit by a commercial driver – if the other driver was an employee of the company he or she worked for (rather than an independent contractor), you will probably be able to sue the employer. You can speak with one of our experienced car injury lawyers today to find out for sure.
Skipping a doctor visit could cost you a lot of money in the long run if it turns out that you really were injured after all. In many cases, a car accident injury will be latent, meaning that you may not experience any immediate symptoms. If you turn out to have been injured later, it will hurt your case that you did not go immediately to the doctor to document your injuries while they were still fresh.
Find related information here: When is it Too Late to See a Doctor After a Car Accident?
Illinois courts are authorized to award three different types of damages: Economic damages, non-economic damages, and punitive damages.
In many rear-end motor vehicle crashes, the rear driver is to blame for the accident. Nevertheless, the rear driver is not always at fault in a rear-end crash. The lead driver or another car could cause a rear-end wreck.
The leading vehicle may be responsible for damages stemming from the crash when:
The driver of the vehicle that rear-ends a leading car will usually be partially negligent. Every driver has a duty to trail other cars at a secure distance that changes depending on the speed limit, highway conditions, and other elements.
The driver of the car that gets rear-ended may be considered negligent when:
An employer can be held accountable when the negligence of its employee causes a car crash, and the accident happens in the course of the employee’s employment. This is known as vicarious liability. If a corporate entity owns the vehicle that caused the collision, the company might be vicariously liable for other parties’ injuries.
Further, if a worker was “on the job,” the company could be held liable for damages stemming from a wreck even if the employee owns the vehicle, under the principle of respondeat superior.
Some disputes with your auto insurance company can be resolved with straightforward communication between you and the provider. Nevertheless, some disputes will require legal action. Each state has various laws concerning filing suits against auto insurance providers.
It is essential to use a lawyer to file a valid claim, as it is challenging to win against an insurance provider since they have a lot of money and influence backing them up. When an insurance company refuses to pay for an auto insurance claim, it is best to have a lawyer on your side.
The amount of your recovery hinges on the amount of damage you incurred and the extent to which you can demonstrate that the injury was someone else’s fault. Recovery for personal injury is often divided between injury to persons and injury to property. The dollar amount of your damages is the sum of all losses incurred due to your injury. This includes physical damage to your property and physical and emotional harm to you.
When figuring this damage, courts assess the cost or value of:
The court may also award punitive damages, which function as a penalty to the offender, over and above the substantial value of the loss incurred.
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View more testimonialsAnswers to some of the most common personal injury questions we’re asked.
Even if the car accident was partly your fault, this doesn’t mean that you automatically lose your case. Under Illinois comparative fault principles, as long as you were 50 percent or less at fault for the accident, you can still recover damages (though they will be reduced). How much they will be reduced by depends on the extent of your fault. If the court decides that you were 25 percent at fault, for example, it will calculate your damages as it would if you were not at fault, and then subtract 25 percent from the total.
As an example, if you are involved in an auto accident in Chicago that causes you $100,000 in damages and causes the other driver $50,000 in damages, and if the court rules that the other driver was 75 percent at fault and you were 25 percent at fault, the court will calculate your damages as follows: [$100,000 – (25 percent times $100,000)] = ($100,000 – $25,000) = $75,000. The other driver will be entitled to nothing, since he or she was more than 50 percent at fault.
Many truck accidents in Chicago involve drivers using commercial driver’s licenses. This could affect your case in two ways – (i) how easy it is to prove the other driver’s fault, and (ii) who you can sue for damages.
If the commercial driver had been drinking alcohol prior to the accident, you could use this against him or her, even if the blood alcohol concentration (BAC ) was lower than the legal limit for non-commercial drivers (most drivers are subject to a legal limit of 0.08 percent, while commercial drivers are subject to a legal limit of 0.04 percent). Once it is established that the driver’s BAC was at least 0.04 percent and that this level of intoxication was a substantial cause of the accident, you could use negligence per se principles to have him or her declared automatically negligent.
Regardless of whether or not the commercial driver had been drinking, if he or she were liable for the accident and had been driving as an employee in the line of duty, you can usually sue the company for all of this liability. This could be important if the driver lacks the financial means to pay a judgment.
You may be required to provide a certain amount of cooperation to your own insurance company. You are not obligated, however, to provide any kind of statement to the other driver’s insurance company, and you are not obligated to turn over your medical records. You should consult with your attorney before even providing a statement to your own insurance company.
Remember that when you are making a claim, the insurance company is your adversary, even your own insurance company, since they make money by maximizing their intake from premiums and minimizing their payment of claims. Further, insurance company adjusters, whose job it is to save their employers money, are experts in asking questions in a manner so as to induce you to make statements that they can use against you later – by denying liability altogether, asserting that the accident was partly your fault, or minimizing the amount they have to pay out on your claim.
It is routine for an insurance company to deny liability, even when the driver they insured is liable. In fact, you can expect an initial denial of liability in all but the most clear-cut cases of liability, such as when the police report clearly indicates that the other driver was at fault. Treat a denial of liability like an initial bargaining position – as the starting point of negotiations, not the end. As long as you have a good Illinois car accident attorney on your side, there is no reason why an initial denial of liability couldn’t mature into a generous settlement offer down the road.
As long as you can prove a physical injury, you should be able to recover for “pain and suffering,” which is based on the amount of physical pain that you suffered. In cases of serious injury, the amount you recover for pain and suffering could end up to be far more than the amount you recover for medical bills. Other types of intangible non-economic damages, such as mental anguish damages, might apply if you suffered a serious debilitating injury. If you suffered no physical injury, however, you cannot recover for these types of damages, no matter how badly the accident “shook you up.”
Not necessarily, but it might. Only an experienced car accident attorney in Chicago can answer this question. The key issue when a DUI is involved is whether or not the vehicle accident was actually caused by the DUI. If you were intoxicated while driving the speed limit and a speeding driver rear-ended you, for example, it would be difficult for the other driver to argue that your DUI actually caused the accident. If the court rules that the other driver’s speeding rather than your intoxication caused the auto accident, the other driver will be liable to pay you damages, while you will be liable for nothing (except perhaps a DUI charge).
The principle of causation applies no matter how the accident happened – a defendant’s misconduct will not give rise to liability unless it actually causes an accident.
In fact, most car accident cases are resolved through out-of-court settlements (usually with an insurance company). The problem is that adequate settlement offers usually don’t come quickly, and settlement offers that come quickly are usually inadequate. In many cases, you might have to file a lawsuit in order to pressure the other side to issue an adequate settlement offer.
There are two common tactics that you need to watch out for: (i) allowing yourself to be seduced by a quick but low settlement offer, and (ii) allowing the other party to trick you into missing the statute of limitations deadline for filing a lawsuit. Indeed, you might be forced to file a lawsuit in order to beat the statute of limitations deadline. Remember that a settlement agreement can be reached at any time prior to the final verdict (even five minutes before!). This is why it’s imperative that you have an experienced Chicago car accident law firm on your side.
It depends. If you have uninsured motorist coverage (not required in Illinois), then it simply means that you will have to make your claim against your own insurance policy. If you don’t have uninsured motorist coverage, on the other hand, you could end up with a problem. You will likely have to sue the other driver directly, and there is no guarantee that the other driver will possess the personal resources to pay out your claim.
Of course, you might get lucky if you were hit by a commercial driver – if the other driver was an employee of the company he or she worked for (rather than an independent contractor), you will probably be able to sue the employer. You can speak with one of our experienced car injury lawyers today to find out for sure.
Skipping a doctor visit could cost you a lot of money in the long run if it turns out that you really were injured after all. In many cases, a car accident injury will be latent, meaning that you may not experience any immediate symptoms. If you turn out to have been injured later, it will hurt your case that you did not go immediately to the doctor to document your injuries while they were still fresh.
Find related information here: When is it Too Late to See a Doctor After a Car Accident?
Illinois courts are authorized to award three different types of damages: Economic damages, non-economic damages, and punitive damages.
In many rear-end motor vehicle crashes, the rear driver is to blame for the accident. Nevertheless, the rear driver is not always at fault in a rear-end crash. The lead driver or another car could cause a rear-end wreck.
The leading vehicle may be responsible for damages stemming from the crash when:
The driver of the vehicle that rear-ends a leading car will usually be partially negligent. Every driver has a duty to trail other cars at a secure distance that changes depending on the speed limit, highway conditions, and other elements.
The driver of the car that gets rear-ended may be considered negligent when:
An employer can be held accountable when the negligence of its employee causes a car crash, and the accident happens in the course of the employee’s employment. This is known as vicarious liability. If a corporate entity owns the vehicle that caused the collision, the company might be vicariously liable for other parties’ injuries.
Further, if a worker was “on the job,” the company could be held liable for damages stemming from a wreck even if the employee owns the vehicle, under the principle of respondeat superior.
Some disputes with your auto insurance company can be resolved with straightforward communication between you and the provider. Nevertheless, some disputes will require legal action. Each state has various laws concerning filing suits against auto insurance providers.
It is essential to use a lawyer to file a valid claim, as it is challenging to win against an insurance provider since they have a lot of money and influence backing them up. When an insurance company refuses to pay for an auto insurance claim, it is best to have a lawyer on your side.
The amount of your recovery hinges on the amount of damage you incurred and the extent to which you can demonstrate that the injury was someone else’s fault. Recovery for personal injury is often divided between injury to persons and injury to property. The dollar amount of your damages is the sum of all losses incurred due to your injury. This includes physical damage to your property and physical and emotional harm to you.
When figuring this damage, courts assess the cost or value of:
The court may also award punitive damages, which function as a penalty to the offender, over and above the substantial value of the loss incurred.
