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​Experienced ILLINOIS Workers’ Compensation Lawyers
& CHICAGO Injury Lawyers

Car Accidents Involving Friends and Family

Skilled Motor Vehicle Crash Attorneys Helping People in Chicago and Nearby Areas

In some circumstances, it may be necessary for victims of motor vehicle collisions to file personal injury lawsuits or insurance claims against family members or friends who have caused a crash. Receiving financial compensation for injuries and costs related to an accident is important, since the devastation that accompanies a collision can be dire. Victims may miss work or may be unable to return to their former occupation due to crash-related injuries. When a car accident involving friends or family has occurred, the Chicago car accident lawyers at the law firm of Katz, Friedman, Eisenstein, Johnson, Bareck & Bertuca can provide compassionate and effective legal representation.

Understand Your Legal Rights Following a Car Accident Involving Friends or Family

Our attorneys understand the importance of preserving personal relationships while pursuing maximum compensation after a crash involving family or friends. Many times, insurance policies that provide vehicle coverage for immediate family members may not cover extended family. Following a vehicle collision, family members who have been injured in a vehicle but are not covered by insurance may file a claim against their friend or relative’s policy. This ensures that they will receive the financial compensation that they deserve for their physical pain, as well as their emotional suffering.

When injured family members or friends bring a legal claim against a responsible party, this should not be taken personally. The legal system provides a method to recover monetary damages from the party responsible for causing an accident. In many cases, the legal claim follows the theory of negligence, which means that the at-fault party was careless in causing the crash. Essentially, the party bringing the claim must show that their family member or friend failed to act as a reasonable person would act under the circumstances. This may be shown in a number of ways, including evidence that shows they were speeding or failed to yield.

Essential to proving fault for causing a car accident is showing causation. This is important because another, intervening cause cannot be responsible for a crash. For example, if aggressive driving caused an accident, the victim and their attorney would need to show that the defendant driver’s aggressive conduct directly led to the crash. In other words, if the defendant had not been driving aggressively, the crash would not have taken place.

Injured family members or friends seeking damages must carefully document their costs related to the crash. After demonstrating the fault of another family member or friend for causing the accident, some of the larger expenses that may be recovered include hospital bills, physical therapy, and medication costs. In some situations, relying on expert medical opinions can help victims obtain complete medical coverage.

Emotional harm after an accident is significant, even following a crash caused by another family member or friend. The trauma that follows a crash may be demonstrated when victims no longer engage in activities to the same degree as they did before the accident. As a form of non-economic harm, emotional suffering and trauma may be recovered by the accident victim and their family.

Hire a Chicago Lawyer to Help Pursue Your Claim Following a Crash

The personal injury lawyers at Katz, Friedman, Eisenstein, Johnson, Bareck & Bertuca provide skilled legal counsel for family members who have been injured in a crash caused by a friend or another relative. The complicated legal issues that can arise during this period require skilled negotiation skills and a strategy that helps to recover maximum compensation for those harmed. We proudly represent people in Springfield, Champaign, Aurora, Rockford, Quincy, and other communities throughout Kane, Cook, Sangamon, Adams, and Winnebago Counties. To set up a free consultation, call our office at 312-724-5846 or complete our online contact form. We schedule free appointments at which we can help victims understand their options and the ways in which we can help them.