East St. Louis Car Accidents

East St. Louis Lawyers for Car Accident Victims

East St. Louis, also known as the City of Champions, is a city along the Mississippi River in Illinois that has historically been one of main transportation hubs of the Midwest. Covering 14.37 square miles, it is served by four major interstate highways, several airports, a railroad network and the Metro light rail system. The median family income as of the 2000 census was $24,567; most people don’t have enough saved up in case of emergency circumstances such as a car accident that results in catastrophic injuries like paralysis, traumatic brain injury, crushing injuries, or amputation. Bringing a personal injury lawsuit against the party responsible for your injuries may allow you to recover damages to cover the harm you’ve experienced. If you were injured or a loved one was killed in a crash, you should call the seasoned East St. Louis car accident attorneys of Katz, Friedman, Eisenstein, Johnson, Bareck & Bertuca. We have more than 60 years of experience representing clients who have been injured and can represent you in a personal injury lawsuit, as well as SSDI or a workers’ compensation claim, as appropriate.

Car Crash in East St. Louis

Drivers owe a duty to use reasonable care when operating their cars. This duty extends to others with whom they share the road, including other drivers. Unfortunately, drivers are often careless or make mistakes while driving and these can have significant consequences. When a driver is negligent and causes you injuries, we may be able to recover damages in a personal injury lawsuit by proving: (1) the other driver owed you a duty of care, (2) breach of that duty of care, (3) causation, and (4) actual damages. A defendant may breach the duty of care by tailgating, weaving, speeding, driving while distracted, driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, driving aggressively, or failing to obey traffic signs and signals.

When a loved one is killed in a car accident, the personal representative of the decedent’s estate may file a wrongful death lawsuit to recover damages. This is a lawsuit separate from the criminal proceedings that may be brought against an at-fault driver whose negligence has caused the death. The burden of proof in a wrongful death lawsuit filed in civil court is lower than that in criminal court.

Joint and Several Liability

Sometimes multiple drivers are at fault for an accident. Under the rule of modified joint and several liability that Illinois follows, any defendant whose fault is less than 25% is only severally or proportionately responsible for damages that are not medical. However, all defendants found liable are jointly and severally liable for medically related expenses, meaning that any one of them can be pursued to enforce a judgment.

Often defendants raise the affirmative defense of comparative negligence. In Illinois, when defendants successfully show a plaintiff’s comparative negligence, the plaintiff’s damages can be reduced by an amount proportionate to his or her degree of fault for the collision. However, a plaintiff can be barred from recovering anything at all if the defendant is able to prove that the plaintiff was 50% or more at fault for the accident.

Recovering Compensatory Damages

If our lawyers can establish a defendant’s liability, we can obtain compensatory damages on your behalf. These may include lost wages, medical bills, out of pocket costs, pain and suffering, mental distress, and replacement services.

When your loved one has died as the result of a negligent driver, you may be able to recover damages by bringing a wrongful death lawsuit.

Call an East St. Louis Lawyer About Car Accident Injuries

If you were injured in a crash or a loved one died as a result of an accident, you need skillful legal representation. Call the experienced DuPage County car accident attorneys of Katz, Friedman, Eisenstein, Johnson, Bareck & Bertuca to handle your personal injury lawsuit, SSDI claim, or workers’ compensation claim. Call us at 312-724-5846 or fill out our online form.