What are the first steps in a personal injury lawsuit?

Each year, there are hundreds of personal injury lawsuits filed in civil court in the Chicago area. Most of our readers probably associate personal injury claims with so-called «slip and fall» cases or even car accidents. The reality is that personal injury lawsuits can be based on a wide range of incidents. After a person is injured, the legal process has to start somewhere. So, what are the first steps in a personal injury lawsuit?

Well, for starters, the most important thing to worry about any time a person is injured is that person’s health. Hopefully a full recovery can be achieved; however, that is not always the case. When an injured victim begins to think about a personal injury legal claim, the most important first step to think about is the same thing that is crucial in any type of legal case and that is evidence.

In a personal injury case, the evidence that will be important to attempt to prove the claim can vary widely. In car accident cases, for example, photographs of the accident scene may play an important part, as could the statements of eye witnesses who saw what happen and who caused the accident. In almost all personal injury claims, photos of the injuries that the victim suffered can be gruesome, but crucial, especially if they were taken in the immediate aftermath of the incident in question.

Besides the process of gathering evidence, the other crucial first step that injured victims in Chicago need to be thinking about is the timeframe in which they need to pursue the claim. If a certain amount of time lapses since the incident, the claim may be barred under the law. Because of this, it is important to timely consider your rights and options following an accident.