PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEY IN
SCHAUMBURG & CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

When a personal injury occurs because someone else was negligent or reckless, you have a case for personal injury. Determining the level or value of your claim is best done through counseling with a well-experienced personal injury attorney.

At Kugler & Associates, we provide superior counsel and want to help you understand your situation in terms of the law. Our experience in personal injury cases in extensive, and we specialize in the following areas:

• Auto Accidents

• Truck Accidents

• Slip & Fall Accidents

• Wrongful Death

• Medical Malpractice

Even if your injury does not fit any of these categories, we are happy to talk with you about your case and what your options are.

What do I do after the accident?

Following an accident that has left you with a personal injury, it is confusing to know what to do next. But there are guidelines to help you compile your options and take it all in.

1. Asses the damages. You’ve been hurt, but what have you lost? Are you taking unpaid time off work to heal and recover? Were you in a car accident and no longer have reliable transportation? Determining the damages will help you compile documents a personal injury attorney will need.

2. If you haven’t already acquired the insurance information of the at-fault party you will need to do so. If you were hurt on someone’s property, contact the manager or owner and obtain their insurance company’s information.

3. Aside from filing a claim with your insurance company, do not give any statement about the incident without consulting a personal injury attorney.

4. Hire a well-experienced personal injury attorney.

Our attorneys have the experience to evaluate your situation and make a plan to move forward. Your insurance company does not have your best interest in mind, but we promise that your best interest is our top priority.

What is negligence?

The law defines negligence as a failure to do something a reasonably careful person would do; or doing something a reasonably careful person would not do. Examples of this are reckless driving, failing to fix safety hazards, and neglecting patient needs.

If you have been injured as a result of someone else’s negligent or reckless behavior, it is the law that allows you to recover monetary and personal damages. But recovering damages require establishing the fault of the negligent party, which can be tricky if not handled by a personal injury lawyer.

Determining fault has many factors involved. A proper and thorough investigation of the scene of the accident, complete medical documents, insurance coverage, and expert witnesses are all vital in establishes who is to blame for the accident.

What if I am partially to blame for my injury?

In the state of Illinois, a comparative negligence system is used to asses and determine the level of responsibility or fault of each party. If you are found partially at fault, the percentage of your negligence will be considered before any settlement is given. This means you can only recover damages to the extent that the other party was at fault - or the percentage of damaged based on the percentage of their liability.

For example, if you slip and fall on an unsafe at the pool but were jumping from pool chairs to the pool when it happened. Because of your involvement, the system determined you were half (50%) responsible for your injuries and can only recover up to half of the damages.

This example is only to give you an idea of what comparative negligence law looks like and does not represent actual policy or standards. The best way to establish fault accurately is by hiring a personal injury attorney.

Our firm has highly qualified and experienced attorneys that can help you from the very beginning of your case to a settlement. We will work hard to achieve the best possible outcome - the highest maximum settlement - for your case. Put your legal burdens on our shoulders.