Rockford Personal Injury Lawyer

Personal injury accidents in Rockford are governed by a combination of Illinois law, municipal laws and federal laws.  When someone is physically and/or emotionally injured it is considered to be a “Personal Injury.” Personal Injury laws allow injured persons to receive compensation from the responsible party. The responsible party is generally an individual or company that created the circumstances that led to the injury through negligence, recklessness or even intentional actions.
In order for actions to be “negligent,” they must meet three primary criteria: 1) There must be a legal duty between the defendant and the plaintiff (the injured person), 2) There must be a breach of that duty and 3) Damage must have occurred as a result of that breach.
Personal Injury liability can also result from an “intentional act.” An intentional act is one that is deliberately meant to cause injury or harm.
“Strict Liability” is another form of Personal Injury liability. It means that a party may be responsible or legally liable for damages even when negligence was not involved. This most frequently applies to situations that are inherently dangerous. We often see this occur in product liability matters. Manufacturers are responsible to make certain that their products are safe when used as directed. When someone is injured by a product, under the terms of Strict Liability, intent or negligence does not have to be proven.
Once liability is established for a Peoria personal injury, the responsible party must pay for damages incurred by the victim.
If you have been the victim of a personal injury in or around Peoria or throughout Illinois we want to encourage you to take the correct next steps following your injury. Be sure to seek out proper medical attention. Cooperate with the authorities and your own insurance company. However, until you have secured an attorney, do not sign anything or give a recorded or written statement to any opposing party or their insurance company or representative. And remember, most Personal Injury cases have a statute of limitations. This means you, as the injured party, have only a certain amount of time allowed to file a lawsuit.
If you or a loved one has suffered an injury, illness or death that appears to be the fault of someone else, contact our firm, VanDerGinst Law at 866-788-5297 or click here for a FREE Online Case Evaluation. The initial consultation is free of charge and there is never a fee on injury cases unless we get you money.