Increase in Chicago Car Accidents Contributes to Rise in Personal Injury Cases

Recently, an apparent and dramatic increase in car accidents in Chicago has led to a boom in personal injury cases in the Chicagoland area. Here, the Chicago car accident lawyers of Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C. discuss the latest statistics regarding crashes in Cook County and what to do if you’ve been involved in an accident. 

Cook County Crash Statistics

According to recent reports from the Illinois Department of Transportation:

• In one recent year, there were 127,261 total crashes in Cook County alone, more than nine times more accidents than the next-most accident-prone Illinois county.
• These 127,261 crashes accounted for more than half of all traffic accidents throughout the state of Illinois that year.
• Of all Cook County accidents that year, 24,789 (19.5 percent) were injury accidents, and 339 (0.3 percent) were fatal accidents.
• The previous year, there were 289,057 drivers involved in accidents throughout Cook County. Of those individuals:
  • 2,640 were “alcohol-impaired” at the time of the crash
  • 361 “had been drinking” at the time of the crash
  • 350 were “drug-impaired” at the time of the crash
  • 95 were alcohol- and drug-impaired at the time of the crash
  • 71 were “medicated” at the time of the crash
  • 1,232 were “fatigued” at the time of the crash

Timeframe for a Personal Injury Case in Illinois

If you are injured in a car accident, you have the right to seek money for your losses by filing a personal injury claim. Generally, you have two years to file a personal injury lawsuit. Depending on the circumstances, resolving a claim may take anywhere between a few months to a few years.

The vast majority of car accident cases end in settlements long before anyone sees the inside of a courtroom. However, settlement negotiations can take quite a long time when cases are complicated or liability is in dispute. In some cases, the only way to recover fair compensation is to go to court. 

Regardless, any good lawyer will tell you that faster is not necessarily better. It’s often best to remain as patient as possible until the other side’s insurance company realizes you mean business. 

What a Car Accident Attorney Does to Help

Working with a knowledgeable car crash lawyer is the best way to protect your legal rights and financial interests after a Chicago car accident. Your lawyer can help you by:

• Explaining your legal options for seeking compensation
• Calculating a reliable estimate for the value of your case
• Conducting an independent investigation of the crash
• Gathering valuable evidence to support your claim
• Preparing and filing critical legal documents on your behalf
• Communicating with other parties on your behalf
• Fighting aggressively during settlement negotiations
• Representing you in court, if necessary

Contact Salvi, Schostok, & Pritchard Today

At Salvi, Schostok, & Pritchard P.C., our Chicago car crash lawyers have recovered more than $1.6 billion in compensation for local accident victims like you. Contact our team of trusted trial attorneys today to discuss the details of your story in a free initial consultation.