| |
Illinois
Personal Injury Lawyers
|
|
Illinois personal injury
lawyers represent those who have been hurt in the nation's
fifth largest state. Like New York City and State, Illinois
is also many times thought of as Chicago and "the rest
of the state".
In order to choose a qualified
Illinois personal injury attorney, first check out the general
page on personal injury lawyers
in order to get an understanding of important questions
to ask when interviewing attorneys.
|
Illinois is known as the "Land of Lincoln" since the
16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln spent most
of his adult life here and practiced law in Springfield, the state
capital, in the heart of the state. Outside of Chicago, Illinois
is a very rural and agricultural state with many small towns scattered
north to south. Even so, the once mostly-Republican state has
voted Democratic in the last 4 presidential elections, signaling
a shift in political climate.
If your injury occurred in the Chicago area, it is advisable
to retain a Chicago personal injury lawyer who has practiced for
a while in Cook County and the surrounding counties. This attorney
will have an advantage in knowing the policies, procedures, social
and political climate and attitudes for that region over an "outsider".
If the injury occurred in another part of the state, then it is
advisable to retain an Illinois personal injury lawyer practicing
in the county in which the accident happened for the same reasons.
Whether the prospective lawyer hails from Rockport, Moline, Peoria,
Decatur, Danville, Belleville or Carbondale, it will be helpful
to find a "local" to represent your interests.
In searching for a list Illinois personal injury lawyer candidate,
you can start at the Illinois State Bar Association, which offers
a referral service unlike many other states. Co-workers, friends
and neighbors are also resources that are available in order to
help put together a list of candidates.
Once several Illinois personal injury lawyers have been added
to the list, then its time to call for a free consultation (make
sure it is free) and start the interview process. You may wish
to see if your prospective Illinois personal injury attorney is
staying current with case law and throw a few little "tests"
their way. For instance, you may want to ask your prospect if
they are familiar with Gee v. Treece, which is a wrongful death
lawsuit brought about by the heirs to the estate. Another case
worth quoting is Bruckner v. Mercola, which is a medical malpractice
case involving mislabeled medication. If these two cases aren't
on your candidate's radar this next one should be. The Estate
of Robert Anthony Russ v. City of Chicago and Van Watts involved
a $9.6 million award for the plaintiff's estate because of a wrongful
death caused by a police officer.
Ask the Illinois personal injury lawyer about his / her continuing
legal education (CLE) courses that they take to stay current in
the field. Also, find out where the candidate went to law school
and how long they have practiced in their particular district
in Illinois. Find out number of trials and success rate within
the district is also important.
Pick an attorney with whom you have a good rapport. Remember,
that the litigation may be a long one, so choosing a qualified
Illinois personal injury lawyer that you get along with will be
invaluable over the long haul.
More Attorneys: Chicago
Personal Injury Lawyers
|
|
