Getting hurt because of someone else’s carelessness can turn your life upside down fast. Medical bills pile up. You may miss work for weeks or months. And the other side’s insurance company is already working on limiting what they pay you. If you or someone you love has been seriously injured in Granite City, Illinois, you should not have to face that pressure alone.
At Bartholomew, Shevlin & Flack, LLP, we represent people in Granite City and throughout Madison County who have been hurt through no fault of their own. We understand what is at stake for your family, and we are committed to helping injured people pursue the fair compensation they may be entitled to under Illinois law. Our law firm has deep roots in this community, and we take that responsibility seriously.
You may have unexpected medical bills, and paying for your care is likely a challenge if you can’t work because of your injuries. Depending on their severity, they may even prevent you from enjoying life to its fullest. These burdens should not be yours to bear if someone else is to blame for the truck or car crash.
Our car accident attorneys at Bartholomew, Shevlin & Flack, LLP, want to help you during this challenging time by pursuing the money you need to start rebuilding your life. Contact our law firm today to speak with a car accident attorney in Belleville, IL. Initial consultations are free, and we only charge a fee when we win the case.
When people think about a personal injury case, they often focus on medical bills. That is understandable. But the financial impact of a serious injury often goes much further.
In Illinois, injured people may be entitled to seek compensation for a range of losses, which lawyers refer to collectively as damages. Damages are the legally cognizable harms or injuries including both monetary and nonmonetary losses that result from an injury caused by another party’s negligence. Negligence, in plain terms, means that someone failed to act with the care a reasonable person would use, and that failure caused your injury.
Depending on the facts of your case, damages in a personal injury claim may include:
In some cases, courts may also consider punitive damages, which are an additional financial penalty meant to punish and deter conduct that was especially reckless or willful. These rarely apply, generally only if the defendant acted with malice or with gross negligence when they harmed you.
The value of your personal injury claim depends on many factors, and no responsible attorney can promise a specific outcome. What we can do is build the strongest possible case on your behalf and pursue every category of compensation the facts may support.
Motor Vehicle Accidents Car accidents, truck accidents, and motorcycle accidents are among the most common causes of serious injury in the Granite City area. The roads around Granite City carry significant traffic, including commercial trucks moving through the region. When a crash happens because another driver was distracted, speeding, or driving under the influence, the injured person may have a claim against that driver and potentially against other parties as well.
Granite City is a working community with a strong industrial history and a population that depends on the roads, businesses, and institutions that make up daily life here. Accidents happen along Route 3, on I-270 near the northern edge of the city, and throughout the neighborhoods that stretch from Downtown and East Granite to the Wilson Park area and beyond.
When an accident happens locally, understanding the area can make a difference. Which roads carry the most commercial traffic? Where do pedestrian hazards tend to appear? What local agencies responded to the scene, and how do their reporting procedures work? These are the kinds of practical questions that can matter when building a case.
Our attorneys are familiar with how cases move through the Madison County court system and how local conditions can affect the facts of a claim. We work with investigators, medical professionals, and other experts when the circumstances call for it. And we understand that injured people in Granite City are not looking for legal jargon. They are looking for answers, and they deserve to be treated with respect.
Illinois personal injury law is built on the concept of negligence. To succeed in a claim, the injured person, generally needs to show four things:
Sounds straightforward. In practice, it often is not. The defendant’s insurance company will look for ways to argue that their client was not at fault, that your injuries were pre-existing, or that you share some of the blame for what happened.
When it comes to fault for an accident, real life is rarely black and white. Fortunately, Illinois follows a rule called modified comparative fault. This means that if you are found to be partially at fault for the accident, you may recover, but your compensation may be reduced by your percentage of fault. If you are found to be more than 50 percent at fault, you may not be able to recover anything. This is one reason why the way your case is investigated and presented matters so much.
Insurance adjusters are trained to handle claims in a way that protects the insurance company’s bottom line. That is their job. They may contact you quickly after an accident, sound sympathetic, and offer a settlement that seems reasonable at first glance.
That early offer often does not account for the full scope of your injuries, especially if you have not yet reached maximum medical recovery. Once you accept a settlement and sign a release, you typically cannot go back and ask for more, even if your condition turns out to be more serious than it first appeared.
A few things that can seriously harm your claim:
These are not obvious mistakes. Many injured people make them simply because they did not know better. That is part of why having legal representation early in the process can make a real difference.
If you or a family member has been seriously hurt, the steps you take in the days and weeks following the accident can have a real impact on your case. In general, it may help to:
If you or a family member has been seriously hurt, the steps you take in the days and weeks following the accident can have a real impact on your case. In general, it may help to:
Every situation is different. The most important step is to speak with a personal injury attorney before making any decisions that could affect your rights.
Bartholomew, Shevlin & Flack, LLP is not a national call center. We are a local law firm with genuine ties to this community. We believe that people who are hurt through no fault of their own deserve real legal representation, not just a form letter and a lowball offer.
Our commitment is to treat every client as an individual, to communicate clearly, and to pursue the compensation they may be entitled to with the full resources of our firm. We understand that the decision to pursue a personal injury claim is a serious one, and we respect the trust our clients place in us when they choose to work with our attorneys.
If you have been seriously injured in Granite City or the surrounding Madison County area, we encourage you to reach out for a consultation. There is no obligation, and speaking with a lawyer early gives you the information you need to make the right decision for your situation.
If you’ve suffered injuries in an accident caused by someone else’s negligence, the team at Bartholomew, Shevlin & Flack, LLP, can help. We have over 100 years of combined experience protecting the rights of injured Granite City,, and we’ve recovered millions on their behalf. We offer compassionate support and tenacious representation as you seek the compensation you deserve. Contact us today for your free consultation.