VEHICLE ACCIDENTS

If you have been injured in a motor vehicle accident, you need qualified, experienced legal advice and representation. Call us at Briones, Harvey and Trevino in English or Spanish today at (708) 799-3800 and let us help you protect your legal rights.

At Briones, Harvey and Trevino, located in Homewood, Illinois, we have a distinguished record among personal injury attorneys in the state of Illinois for recovering damages for our clients injured in car, truck or other motor vehicle accidents. We will negotiate with insurance companies and their attorneys to reach a settlement that is in our clients' interest and obtain all benefits that are available under the law. Where out-of-court settlement cannot be reached, we are skilled and accomplished trial lawyers, working with a network of experts and state-of-the-art techniques in damage calculation and accident reconstruction. Our experience and advocacy has resulted in many significant damage settlements and awards on behalf of our clients, including an $825,000.00 settlement on behalf of a client injured in a car-truck accident.

Motor Vehicle Accidents - An Overview

Cases arising out of automobile accidents are by far the most common type of personal injury case in our court system today. This is not surprising, given that every 10 seconds, someone in the United States is involved in a car accident, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Except in those states where legislation eliminating fault as an issue has been passed (no-fault laws), these cases are typically governed by the law of negligence. Generally, people who operate automobiles must exercise "reasonable care under the circumstances." A failure to use reasonable care is considered negligence. A person who negligently operates a vehicle may be required to pay for any damages, either to a person or property, caused by his or her negligence. The injured party, known as the plaintiff, is required to prove that the defendant was negligent, that the negligence caused the accident, and that the accident caused the plaintiff's injuries. If you have been involved in a motor vehicle accident, you must not hesitate to seek legal counsel from a personal injury attorney experienced in automobile accident cases in order to best protect your interests.

As with other types of accidents, figuring out who is at fault in a traffic accident is a matter of deciding who was negligent. In many cases, your instincts will tell you that a driver, cyclist or pedestrian acted carelessly, but not what rule or rules that person violated. Fault issues can be complicated, and an experienced attorney will look to a number of sources, such as police reports, state traffic laws, and witnesses, to help you determine who was at fault for your accident. Read More

Injuries and Compensation

Generally, an individual injured in an automobile accident may bring a claim or lawsuit to recover the actual expenses associated with property damage and medical costs, economic damages, and emotional and physical pain and suffering. Litigation involving motor vehicle accidents can be extremely complicated. Retaining an experienced lawyer familiar with motor vehicle accident damages will place you in the best position to receive the recovery that you deserve.

Insurance Claims Dos & Don'ts

Do call your agent as soon as a covered event takes place. As soon as you get home from the car accident, or even before you go to the doctor, call your agent.

Do review and understand your coverage before talking to your insurer or your agent. Read the "Coverage" and "Exclusion" sections of you policy in particular.

Uninsured or Underinsured Motorists

Many drivers ignore motor vehicle insurance requirements, cannot afford to purchase insurance, or carry insufficient insurance. Uninsured motorist coverage is a form of insurance that pays for bodily injury that results from an accident with a driver who is legally responsible for the injuries, but has no liability coverage. Underinsured motorist coverage pays for bodily injury that results from an accident with a driver who has liability insurance with limits that are lower than the injured party's underinsured motorist coverage limits. If you have been involved in an accident with an uninsured or underinsured driver, it is important that you contact an attorney at an experienced personal injury law firm immediately so you do not waive valuable legal rights.

No-Fault Insurance

The laws of the state in which the accident occurs determine who pays for the damages from an automobile accident. Basically, in a no-fault insurance state, fault is not placed on either party, and each driver generally submits a claim to his or her own insurance company instead of establishing blame. Many states, including Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and others, have some form of no-fault insurance laws. No-fault auto insurance is widely misunderstood, and is applied differently in every state that offers it. If you are in an automobile accident, you should contact an experienced personal injury firm to discuss how the relevant state law views fault and to determine how fault or no-fault laws may affect your right to recover damages for injuries.

What to do if you are in an accident

If you are involved in an automobile collision, stop. Most states require an individual not to leave the scene of an accident, even a minor one, without first stopping to see whether there are damages or injuries. A person may be criminally prosecuted for leaving the scene of an automobile accident.

At Briones, Harvey & Trevino of Homewood, Illinois, we have years of experience successfully dealing with the insurance companies and their attorneys. We will come to the hospital or your home to meet with you. Damages for which you may be entitled include medical bills and expenses, lost wages, property damage, rental car expenses, vocational retraining, pain and suffering and in some cases punitive damages. We will handle all aspects of your case, from beginning to end, allowing you to focus on getting better.

Our fees are contingent, meaning that you pay not a fee until your case settles and your damages have been recovered. In addition, unlike many law firms, when we accept your case we will forward the costs of the litigation, so there is no charge or expense to you at all. We will work with you to ensure that you receive the full recovery you are entitled under the law.

We work with a network of experts and expert witnesses, and employ state-of-the-art techniques in case preparation, case presentation and accident reconstruction. Our negotiating skills and distinguished record as trial attorneys have resulted in many significant settlements and judgments for our clients. Recently, we settled a case for $825,000.00 in which our client was severely injured in a car-truck accident, having been struck by a tractor-trailer truck. We have the resources and proven record of success to give you the big-time results that you desire.

If you have been hurt in an auto accident, you need the help of an experienced and successful personal injury lawyer. Contact us today in English or Spanish and let us put our skill and experience to work for you.