The personal injury attorneys at Stein & Shulman excel at getting Northbrook and greater Chicagoland residents the compensation they deserve when they have been injured in an accident. Our team has over four decades of combined personal injury experience that we can put to work for you.
All of the attorneys at our firm graduated from John Marshall Law School in downtown Chicago, and have dedicated their careers to serving clients in the Chicagoland area. Over the years, we have recovered millions of dollars for our clients. We know you need every penny you can get your hands on after an accident to treat your injuries, fully recover, and move on with your life. We will fight aggressively to get you full compensation.
Why Do I Need An Attorney?
Suffering a serious personal injury is a life-altering experience. Coping with physical pain and emotional distress while unable to go about your normal routine is a tremendous challenge. Dealing with financial worries at the same time can be overwhelming.
If your injury was caused by someone else’s inattention or recklessness, the Stein & Shulman team may be able to help you get money to compensate you for the harm you have suffered. We can guide you through the insurance claims process, and advocate for you in court should it come to that.
Most personal injury claims are settled well before they reach the courthouse steps. Almost every property owner, driver, employer, dog-owner, or other accident causer carries insurance. Instead of facing the person who caused your injury in a trial, all you need to do is get them to file a claim against their insurance policy.
Why do you need an attorney to help you do something so seemingly straightforward? The unfortunate answer is insurance companies are not as kind-hearted and innocent.
As attorneys, it is our job to coax the insurance companies to the negotiating table, and then persuade them to make a serious offer that fairly compensates you for all of the harm you have suffered. If that fails, we take them to court.
We make our case by gathering evidence that shows who was at fault, and exactly how much money it would take to put you in the position you would be in if the accident had never occurred.
Illinois Comparative Negligence Law
Gathering evidence that shows who caused the accident that injured you is critical. Illinois is a comparative negligence state, which means the amount of compensation you are eligible for depends on your actions.
Using the evidence available to it, the court assigns a percentage of blame to each party and the percentage of fault assigned to you (the plaintiff) will be deducted from the damages awarded to you. If, for example, you are found to be 20 percent to blame for your slip and fall accident since you were wearing inappropriate footwear for the terrain, you will lose 20 percent of the compensation the court awards. So, if you are awarded $100,000, you will actually receive $80,000.
You should be aware that the word “modified” in this context means that there is a limit to your ability to collect damage. In Illinois, if you are found to be more than 51 percent to blame for your own injury, you will receive no compensation at all.
The Stein & Shulman team knows how critical it is to gather evidence that proves our client was not the one who caused the accident. In today’s world, when everyone is carrying around a smartphone that is capable of recording video and audio, and home/business surveillance equipment is becoming more common, there is rarely an accident that is not digitally recorded. We also pull police reports, interview witnesses, visit the scene of the accident, and do whatever else we can think of to find compelling evidence that proves our client did not cause their own injury.
Fighting For Your Full Monetary Compensation
We know that no matter what type of injury you have suffered, from a “simple” fracture to a spinal cord injury, the pain you have gone through and continue to endure is almost always accompanied by financial difficulties. Our goal is to obtain as much money as possible for our clients.
Under Illinois law, personal injury accident victims can seek both economic and non-economic damages. We gather documents that explicitly enumerate your:
- Medical expenses;
- Lost income;
- Decreased future earnings; and
- Property damage.
We also talk to experts who can estimate a fair compensation for non-economic losses like:
- Physical pain;
- Emotional anguish;
- Permanent disfigurement or disability;
- Loss of consortium; and
- Loss of enjoyment of life.
If we can prove that the person who caused your injury (the defendant) acted with disregard for human safety or engaged in criminal behavior, Illinois law allows us to seek punitive damages as well. Punitive damages have a twofold purpose: to punish the defendant and to discourage others from engaging in similarly egregious behavior.
We Do Not Get Paid Unless Our Clients Do
It takes a lot of time and energy to gather all the evidence needed to make a strong case at the negotiating table or in the courtroom, but our personal injury clients don’t pay us a cent upfront.
Stein & Shulman represents victims of personal injury accidents in the Northbrook area on a contingency fee basis. This means we do not get paid unless you do, and our fee will always be just a portion of what we recover on your behalf.
We will not pressure you to settle for the first low-ball offer an insurance company throws at you just so we can cash a check. We will aggressively fight for every penny you deserve because we know you need that money to fully recover from your injuries. We make big insurance companies stand up and pay attention so you get the money you need to heal and move on with your life.
Contact Our Northbrook Personal Injury Attorneys Today
If you or a loved one has suffered a serious injury through no fault of your own, we are here to help. Whether you are ready to take legal action right now, or are just curious about what options are available to you, we are ready to take your call. Please contact us today to schedule a free initial consultation.
The law office of Stein & Shulman routinely represents victims in Northbrook, Buffalo Grove, Glenview, Schaumburg, Arlington Heights, Skokie, Wheeling, Palatine, Crystal Lake, Mundelein, and Lake and McHenry counties.
