Chicago Personal Injury Lawyers
The third-largest city in the United States, Chicago is home to more than 2.6 million people. The Windy City attracts over a million sports enthusiasts, food lovers, music buffs, and artists every week. There’s plenty to do in Chicago, but it’s a city full of potential hazards.
In fact, Chicago ranks among the highest in the country for vehicle crashes and deaths: there were 118,304 auto accidents in the city of Chicago in 2018 alone, and in 2017, more than 11,000 accidents were caused by semi-trucks.
Sometimes, the City of Chicago is responsible for accidents. Its congested streets, packed venues, substandard housing, and infrastructural issues cause thousands of injuries every day. More often, though, individuals and corporations are to blame. Unfortunately, their negligent decisions cause injury and death every day in the Windy City.
This negligence should be swiftly dealt with to protect the rights of the injured. At Langdon & Emison, our attorneys dedicate their time and effort to representing clients to the best of their ability. We have been recognized as one of the nation’s top personal injury law firms, and we work relentlessly to uphold that reputation.
What qualifies as a personal injury?
Personal injury is defined as damage (injury) to a person’s physical, psychological, or emotional being. Many personal injury cases result from car accidents, but the field also includes medical malpractice, slip and fall, and workplace accidents.
There are many valid situations where an injured person can pursue compensation from the other party, but not all injuries result in legal liability.
That’s why it’s important to discuss your unique situation with an attorney at a Chicago personal injury law firm. Your attorney will establish the following so that your case can move forward:
- The other party (defendant) had a duty of care to ensure your safety and the safety of others. In a car accident case, this would be following traffic laws.
- The defendant breached that duty of care by acting negligently. For example, in a car accident case, this could be running a red light.
- You suffered an injury as a direct result of the defendant’s actions which breached the duty of care.
IAll three of these qualifications must be met in order for your personal injury claim to be successful and for you to receive the maximum amount of compensation. For more information, contact an experienced personal injury attorney at Langdon & Emison today.
Who can be held responsible for my injury?
Many different parties could be responsible (liable) in a personal injury case. If you slipped and fell in a store because someone cleaned and failed to put up signs, you could pursue compensation from the property owner. That’s called premises liability, and it’s a major area of personal injury law. Other parties who may be held responsible for your injury include:
- The at-fault driver(s)
- A doctor or medical facility
- A doctor or medical facility
- A government agency
Sometimes, liability is easily assigned to one person. For example, someone runs a red light and hits another car. Several witnesses testify that they saw the first driver hit the other, so there’s no dispute over who is at fault.
Other times, liability is harder to determine. One constant is that the attorneys at Langdon & Emison will utilize all possible avenues to establish liability and get you the money you need.
Types of Injury Cases We Handle
Any time an injury has likely been caused by another party’s negligence, recklessness, or criminal act, Langdon & Emison is there to help the victim seek to recover their losses.
Some of the most common injury cases we handle include the following.
Chicago Car Accidents
With busy traffic in the city and surrounding freeways, car accidents happen in Chicago every day. A report by IDOT found that Cook County saw 162,527 accidents in 2018 alone. Approximately 248 were fatal and 31,404 led to injuries, with 3,481 of those being serious/incapacitating injuries.
Determining the cause of a car accident and what sources of compensation are available is rarely easy. That’s why so many Illinois residents trust car accident lawyers in Chicago to help them manage their case. Langdon & Emison provides extensive experience and a winning track record to help you and your family seek recovery for the maximum amount of compensation available.
Auto Defects
Defective motor vehicle parts can cause accidents that were otherwise preventable. In other cases, the vehicle component may cause an injury to occur or be worse when it would not have in other circumstances. Our attorneys vigorously research your defect and recent legal action taken in light of it to help you recover your losses and move towards regaining a normal life.
Consumer Product Defects
We bring consumer products into our home thinking they will improve our lives, but some products injure or kill because of glaring defects. Langdon & Emison is not afraid to stand up against large corporations to help you seek the maximum compensation available for your injuries from all liable companies.
Premises Liability
Property owners have a duty of care to remove hazards when possible and a duty to warn property occupants of hazards that cannot reasonably be removed. Premises liability cases often come down to the defendant alleging that the injury victim contributed to their own injuries or that the injurious circumstances were not “foreseeable.” Our attorneys are familiar with these defenses and are prepared to assert your legal rights to the fullest extent of the law.
Spinal Cord & Brain Injuries
Whether caused by a slip and fall, a motor vehicle collision, or any other negligence-related incident, an injury to the brain or spinal cord presents special circumstances. Your attorney must be experienced with catastrophic injuries and capable of coordinating with medical and financial subject matter experts to accurately assess your full extent of damages and future care costs.
Defective Medical Devices
Medical device manufacturers face stringent regulations and product safety reviews, yet many injury-causing devices manage to find their way onto the market. Defective hernia mesh, implants, and other medical devices can cause major injuries, pain and suffering, and further treatment.
Nursing Home Abuse
Abuse in nursing homes and other skilled care facilities is common in Chicago and across the United States. Many operators attempt to shirk responsibility by denying evidence or blaming employees. It often takes an experienced attorney team to uncover the facts, including laws that can hold businesses accountable for the injuries and suffering they have caused to your loved ones.
Wrongful Death
When the worst outcome happens, you and your family deserve a legal advocate who is willing to work closely with you to help you seek justice and restitution. Our wrongful death attorneys in Chicago will handle all aspects of your case while keeping you informed and updated every step of the way.
What makes our Chicago personal injury law firm different?
Perseverance
Langdon & Emison has won numerous seven-figure settlements for our clients. Unlike other personal injury law firms, we don’t settle for anything less than our clients need. We will work relentlessly to obtain the evidence necessary to win your case and we’ll fight for you every step of the way.
Courage
At Langdon & Emison, we’re not afraid to take a case all the way to trial if that’s what it takes to get our clients the compensation they deserve. We’ve taken big corporations to court to hold them accountable, and we won’t bend when faced with pressure.
Prominence
A law firm is only as good as the lawyers who work there. Fortunately, at Langdon & Emison our attorneys deliver results through their expertise and legal prowess. Each year, Langdon & Emison is recognized by the U.S. News and World Report as one of the country’s leading personal injury firms.
Our attorneys win many awards every year, including Lawyer of the Year, Top Lawyer, Best Lawyer, and Super Lawyer along with the nation’s best and brightest.
Langdon & Emison’s Promise to You
- We will fight relentlessly for you, no matter the type or severity of your injury.
- We will pursue the maximum amount of compensation to give you the best chance of recovery.
- We will thoroughly investigate all aspects of your case and obtain the necessary evidence for an unbeatable legal strategy.
- Your injury may change your life, but we will be there for you.
Other Practice Areas
- Roadway Defects & Signage Hazards
- Railroad Accidents
- Dangerous Drugs
- Business Interruption Insurance
How Our Chicago PI Lawyers Can Help
When you first get injured, you may feel scared, confused, and overwhelmed. We are here to help you make sense of your situation and to assess what legal strategies can help you seek the compensation you need to recover.
An attorney from Langdon & Emison can perform the following duties when it comes to handling your case:
- Investigation – We look at all available evidence and often send experienced investigators to gather our own. This evidence can prove pivotal for establishing negligence and documenting it in a way that convinces a jury.
- Research – One of the biggest predictors of case success is whether there is a history of cases similar to yours in court filings and other resources. We look deeply into applicable laws and prior rulings to help you arrive at an optimal legal strategy.
- Accounting Your Damages – All damages must not only be assessed but documented according to the standard expected by both insurance and legal proceedings. We help you assess every cent inflicted as a result of your injury or wrongful death incident.
- Negotiation – Most personal injury cases are handled through out-of-court settlements, which requires an experienced negotiator who is also knowledgeable of what legal maneuvers serve as disincentives for defending parties to seek trial litigation.
- Counseling and Guidance – We work closely with injury victims and their families to understand their goals, inform them of their rights, and advise them at every stage of the claims or litigation process.
A History of Winning Cases for Our Clients
Collectively, our firm has obtained over $750 million in trial verdicts and settlements. We have also helped establish the rights of consumers and accident victims through important trial precedents. Some of our landmark case results include:
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$59 million auto defect case verdict against the Toyota motor company
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$26.4 million auto defect case verdict against the Ford motor company
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$7 million truck accident case outcome against Dunaway Timber
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$6 million defective product verdict against Wal-Mart
