I got a call about eight months ago that stuck with me. A guy who works at one of the big distribution warehouses in Bedford Park—one of those massive facilities near Cicero Avenue and 65th Street—reached out after he got hurt on the job. Forklift accident. The thing pinned him against a loading dock, crushed his leg pretty bad. Three surgeries later, he's still not walking right.
But here's what really got me angry. The company's workers' comp insurance was jerking him around, denying treatment, making him see their doctor who kept saying he was fine to go back to work when he clearly wasn't. They were hoping he'd just give up and go away.
That kind of garbage makes my blood boil. Because I know exactly what it's like when the system fails you and nobody's fighting for you.
When I was nine years old, my dad got catastrophically injured at work. He was a truck driver, a Teamster, and one day everything changed. His neck, back, and spine were permanently damaged. But what really destroyed our family wasn't just the injuries—it was how his own lawyer treated him. The case dragged on for seventeen years. Seventeen years of being run around by insurance companies and lawyers who didn't give a damn. At the end of it all, his own attorney sued him for more fees.
We grew up poor after my dad couldn't work anymore. I watched my mom struggle. I watched my dad deal with chronic pain while the legal system chewed him up and spit him out.
That's why I became a personal injury lawyer. And that's why I drove out to Bedford Park to meet with this warehouse worker at a restaurant on Archer Avenue. We sat down, I listened to his story for over an hour, and I explained exactly how we were going to fight the insurance company and their company doctors. Four months later, we got him approved for the surgery his real doctor said he needed, got him compensation for his permanent injury, and made sure he got every benefit he was entitled to under Illinois law.
That's what I do for people in Bedford Park and throughout Cook County. When you've been hurt—whether it's a work injury at one of the warehouses, a truck accident on I-55 or I-294, a car crash, or any other kind of accident—you deserve someone who's going to fight for you like you're family.
I work on contingency. No money out of your pocket. No fee until we win your case. You can call me 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, because injuries don't happen on a convenient schedule and you shouldn't have to wait until Monday morning at 9 a.m. to get answers.
Bedford Park isn't your typical Chicago suburb. It's tiny—barely a square mile—but it's packed with industrial activity. Massive distribution centers, warehouses, logistics facilities. The kind of places where trucks are loading and unloading 24/7, where forklifts are moving constantly, where workers are dealing with heavy machinery and time pressure to get shipments out.
I've handled cases here. Real cases with real people. I know Cicero Avenue running north-south through the village. I know Archer Avenue cutting diagonally across. I know that 65th Street is where a lot of the industrial facilities are concentrated. I know that the Stevenson Expressway (I-55) runs along the northern border and I-294 is right there to the east, which is exactly why so many distribution and logistics companies set up shop here—easy access to major highways for trucks coming and going.
When you're dealing with an injury case in Bedford Park, having a lawyer who understands what makes this place tick gives you a real advantage. I know the kinds of accidents that happen here. I know the companies that cut corners on safety. I know how to prove a case when a worker gets hurt because a warehouse was understaffed or equipment wasn't properly maintained.
Bedford Park borders Chicago to the north and east, Burbank to the west, and Bridgeview to the south. The village has maybe 580 residents, but during the day? Thousands of people are working in those warehouses and facilities. That's a lot of potential for workplace injuries, and unfortunately, I see them all the time.
Here's something most people don't think about: where your lawyer actually practices matters. A lot.
I've been licensed since 1998. That's over 27 years of practicing injury law in Illinois. My office is at 200 N LaSalle Street in downtown Chicago—right on what they call "Lawyer's Row" because so many law offices are located there. I'm right across the street from the courthouse and the Workers' Compensation Commission.
I'm not some suburban lawyer who's intimidated by the Cook County court system. I know the judges. I know the procedures. I know how to move cases efficiently through this system. I had my first jury trial after one month of practice, and I haven't stopped since.
Insurance companies know which lawyers are serious about going to trial and which ones are just bluffing to try to squeeze out a slightly better settlement. When they see my name, they know I've had more than 30 jury trials in personal injury cases, about 100 arbitrations, and hundreds of depositions. A judge once told me my courtroom presentation was one of the best he'd ever seen. I have more trial experience than lawyers who've been practicing twice as long as I have, because I'm not afraid to fight.
The insurance industry is a business. Their entire business model is paying you as little as possible. Ideally nothing at all.
How do I know this? Because early in my career—after about a year and a half of practice—I went to work for a big defense firm representing insurance companies. I saw how they operate from the inside. I saw the tactics. I saw the playbooks they use to minimize claims and deny benefits. I saw how they count on people not knowing their rights and not having anyone in their corner who does.
That experience is exactly why I came back to representing injured people. My sympathies were always with the middle class, working class, regular folks over big companies. I quickly realized there are a lot of injury firms out there that treat their clients terribly and their associates even worse. So I started building a practice based on word of mouth and great, respectful service. That's the foundation of my firm, and it's my promise to every single client.
Given the concentration of warehouses, distribution centers, and industrial facilities in Bedford Park, workplace injuries are incredibly common. I handle these cases all the time.
The Illinois Workers' Compensation Act gives you rights if you're injured at work, including:
But here's the catch: the insurance companies will fight you on every single one of these benefits unless you have a lawyer who knows the system inside and out.
I handle all kinds of workplace injuries:
In workers' comp cases, my fee is set by state law at 20%. That's it. And I make sure you get every single benefit you're entitled to under Illinois law, not what the insurance company wants to give you.
Bedford Park's location makes it a hub for truck traffic. You've got I-55 running along the north, I-294 to the east, and all those distribution centers mean commercial trucks are constantly coming and going at all hours.
When a commercial truck is involved in a crash, everything changes. These aren't just bigger vehicles. They're governed by federal regulations. They often involve complex corporate ownership structures. The insurance policies are completely different from regular car insurance—usually much bigger, which is good for you, but also means the company will fight harder.
I understand the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations. I know how to investigate trucking companies, not just the drivers. I know how to prove that a company was negligent in hiring someone with a bad driving record, or in failing to properly train their drivers, or in pushing drivers to violate hours-of-service rules to make unrealistic delivery schedules.
Most lawyers don't have this specialized knowledge. They handle car accident cases and think truck cases are the same. They're not. I've invested the time and money to learn this stuff because it matters for your case.
With I-55, I-294, Cicero Avenue, and Archer Avenue all running through or near Bedford Park, car accidents happen frequently. Heavy traffic, especially during morning and evening rush hours, leads to all kinds of crashes.
I handle every type of car accident:
People think car accident cases are simple and straightforward. They're absolutely not. There are a thousand ways insurance companies try to minimize your claim or deny it completely if you don't have someone who knows what they're doing fighting for you.
There's an unfair bias against motorcyclists and cyclists. Some people—including some jurors—think, "Well, they chose to ride a motorcycle or bicycle, so they accepted the risk."
That's complete garbage, and it makes me angry every time I hear it. Motorcyclists and cyclists have every legal right to use the roads safely. When a careless driver hits them because they weren't paying attention or didn't look before turning or changing lanes, that rider deserves full compensation for their injuries.
I've represented motorcycle and bike accident victims. These cases are particularly serious because riders have virtually no protection. A crash that might cause minor injuries to someone in a car can result in broken bones, road rash, traumatic brain injuries, or worse for someone on two wheels.
You need a lawyer who's going to fight against that bias and make sure you're treated fairly by insurance companies and, if necessary, by juries. That's what I do.
In areas with heavy truck and car traffic like Bedford Park, pedestrian accidents can be devastating. Workers walking to their cars after a shift, people crossing streets near warehouses—when someone gets hit by a vehicle, the injuries are often severe.
The human body is no match for a vehicle, even at relatively low speeds. Broken bones, head injuries, internal damage—these are all common in pedestrian accidents.
If you were hit while crossing the street legally, you have a case. If a vehicle struck you in a parking lot because the driver wasn't paying attention, you have a case. If a truck driver making a delivery backed into you, you have a case.
Property owners in Bedford Park—whether it's a warehouse, distribution center, or any other business—have a legal duty to maintain reasonably safe premises. When they don't, and you get hurt because of wet floors without warning signs, broken or uneven walking surfaces, poor lighting in parking lots or loading areas, or uncleared ice and snow in winter, they should be held accountable.
The key to winning slip and fall cases is getting evidence quickly. I'm talking immediately after the accident. Before the property owner fixes whatever caused your fall and then claims it never existed or that you were just being careless. Before surveillance video gets erased or written over. Before witnesses forget what they saw.
That's why you need to call me right away if you've been injured in a fall, not weeks or months later when the evidence is gone.
Illinois has what's called "strict liability" for dog bites. That means the owner is usually automatically responsible when their dog bites someone, regardless of whether the dog has a history of aggression or has ever bitten anyone before.
Dog bite injuries can range from minor scratches all the way up to serious wounds requiring surgery, permanent scarring and disfigurement, and psychological trauma—especially for children who develop a fear of dogs after being attacked.
Time matters in these cases because evidence can disappear. The dog owner might get rid of the dog. Witnesses might move away or forget details. Medical records need to be obtained while they're fresh and accurate.
When you go to a doctor or hospital, you're putting your life—or your loved one's life—in their hands. Most healthcare providers do their jobs well and actually care about their patients. But when they make mistakes that any competent doctor or nurse would have avoided, and you get hurt as a result, that's medical malpractice.
I handle medical malpractice cases involving:
Medical malpractice cases are complex and expensive to bring. They require expert witnesses—other doctors who will testify about what the standard of care should have been. A lot of lawyers won't touch these cases because they're difficult and expensive. I will, if your case has merit and I think we can win.
My fee on med mal cases is 33 1/3%, which is the standard rate set by law in Illinois.
Losing a family member because of someone else's negligence is a pain that changes you forever. There's a hole that never really fills back up. I can't bring your loved one back, but I can help you hold the responsible party accountable and get financial compensation for your loss.
Illinois law allows certain family members—spouses, children, parents—to bring wrongful death claims to recover for their loss and to make sure the person or company responsible faces real consequences.
Wrongful death cases can arise from:
These cases require sensitivity, compassion, and real experience. I've handled wrongful death cases, and I treat them with the respect and seriousness they absolutely deserve. You shouldn't have to go through this nightmare alone.
Some injuries don't just heal up in a few weeks or months with some physical therapy. Some injuries change everything about your life, permanently and forever.
Traumatic Brain Injuries: The brain is truly the seat of our souls. A blow to the head—even one that doesn't seem that serious at first—can affect your memory, your personality, your ability to work, your relationships with your family. Everything. Even what doctors call "mild" concussions can have long-lasting effects that insurance companies love to downplay and minimize.
Spinal Cord Injuries: Damage to your spine can result in partial or complete paralysis. You might never walk again. These injuries require a lifetime of medical care, home modifications so you can get around in a wheelchair, specialized equipment, round-the-clock assistance. The financial impact is enormous, and you need a lawyer who understands how to prove and calculate these lifetime costs.
Amputations: Losing a limb changes everything about how you move through the world. How you work, how you take care of yourself and your family, how you do everyday tasks that everyone else takes for granted. You may need prosthetics, modifications to your home and vehicle, ongoing medical care and therapy for the rest of your life.
Severe Burns: Serious burn injuries often require multiple surgeries, painful skin grafts, and leave permanent scarring and disfigurement that affects everything from your ability to work to your relationships to how you feel about yourself.
These catastrophic injury cases require a lawyer who understands the long-term financial impact. We're not just talking about your current medical bills from the hospital—we're talking about a lifetime of care, lost earning capacity because you can't do your old job anymore or any job at all, home and vehicle modifications, pain and suffering that will never go away, and loss of enjoyment of life.
I've invested over $100,000 of my own money flying around the country to study with the absolute best trial lawyers in America. I'm a graduate of the world-renowned Gerry Spence Trial Lawyer's College and the prestigious KTI "The Edge" program. Not one in 10,000 lawyers has completed this level of advanced trial training. I did it specifically so I could handle serious, catastrophic cases like these and get you every single dollar you deserve under the law. Because when your life has been destroyed by someone else's negligence, you deserve the very best representation possible.
In Illinois, you generally have two years from the date of your injury to file a personal injury lawsuit. For workers' compensation cases, it's three years, but—and this is really important—you have to notify your employer that you were injured within 45 days of the accident.
I know two years sounds like plenty of time. It's not. Evidence disappears. Surveillance video gets erased or written over. Witnesses move away or forget what they saw. And the insurance company becomes more and more aggressive the longer you wait, because they know time is working in their favor.
If you miss the statute of limitations deadline, your case is over. Done. Finished. The court will throw it out, and you'll never be able to recover a single penny for your injuries, no matter how serious they are or how clear it is that someone else was at fault. There are very few exceptions to this rule.
Don't let that happen to you. Call me now while the evidence is still fresh and your legal rights are still protected.
A lot of people think they can only recover their medical expenses. That's wrong, and it's exactly what the insurance company wants you to believe because it lets them pay you way less than you actually deserve.
Under Illinois law, you can also recover:
Economic Damages:
Non-Economic Damages:
The insurance company isn't going to tell you about all these different categories of damages. They want you to think you can only get your medical bills covered and maybe a little something extra for your trouble. That's one of the main ways they cheat people out of fair compensation.
When I evaluate your case, I look at every single category of damages to make sure you get every dollar you're legally entitled to under Illinois law.
Here's how it typically goes down: you get hurt in an accident, and within a few days or maybe a couple weeks, an insurance adjuster calls you. They act all friendly and sympathetic. They say things like, "We want to help you" and "We want to get this resolved quickly so you can move on with your life." And then they offer you money to settle your case right away, quickly, before you even really know how serious your injuries are.
It sounds great, right? Quick money when you're stressed about bills and worried about missing work and maybe even worried about losing your job?
Wrong. Dead wrong.
That initial settlement offer is almost always a small fraction of what your case is actually worth. The insurance company is betting that you don't know any better, that you're desperate for money, and that you'll take whatever they offer you just to get something.
Here's the really bad part: once you sign the release and accept their settlement money, you can't come back later and ask for more. Ever. Even if you discover your injuries are way more serious than you initially thought. Even if you need surgery that you didn't know about at first. Even if complications develop. Even if you can't go back to work. You're stuck with whatever you accepted, and the insurance company knows this.
Don't sign anything. Don't agree to anything. Don't even give them a recorded statement without talking to a lawyer first. Call me. The consultation is completely free, and I'll tell you what your case is really worth, not what the insurance company wants to pay you to go away
When you call me, here's exactly what happens. No surprises, just the truth:
I don't pressure people. I don't use high-pressure sales tactics like some lawyers do. I never chase clients or harass them with repeated phone calls. We talk like regular people, like friends, and I give you straight answers in plain English, not confusing legal jargon designed to make lawyers sound smart.
Hiring a lawyer is your choice, and you should work with someone you actually like and trust. Beware of cheesy lawyers who bad-mouth one another or act like jerks. If we're not a good fit for each other, that's totally fine. At least you'll have gotten some free legal advice and a better understanding of your situation.
Sound good?
If you decide to hire me, I get to work immediately. And I mean that same day if possible. Evidence has a nasty habit of disappearing in personal injury cases, and insurance companies know this, so speed absolutely matters.
Here's what my team does right away:
My office has proprietary case management software that I developed in-house. It's one of a kind. It helps us move cases faster and discover information about your case earlier than other law firms do. We beat the insurance company to the punch, and that means better results and faster case settlements for you.
Your health comes first. Always. Nothing else matters more than making sure you get appropriate medical care for your injuries.
If you have health insurance, use it for your medical treatment. If you don't have health insurance or money to pay doctors out of pocket, I can connect you with doctors who will treat you on what's called a "lien" basis—they agree to get paid out of your settlement at the end of the case. That means you can get the medical care you need without paying anything upfront.
Here's what's really important: you need to follow your doctor's advice, attend all your appointments, and complete your treatment plan. The insurance company will look for any excuse to argue that you weren't really hurt that badly or that you didn't take your injuries seriously enough. Missing appointments or not following through with treatment gives them exactly the ammunition they need to minimize or deny your claim.
I make sure all your medical treatment is properly documented so we can prove your case and show exactly how serious your injuries really are and how they've affected your life.
Once you've finished your medical treatment—or you've reached what doctors call "maximum medical improvement," meaning you've recovered as much as you're going to—I sit down and calculate the full value of your case.
This isn't guesswork or throwing darts at a board. I use my 27 years of experience handling thousands of injury cases, my knowledge of similar verdicts and settlements in Cook County and throughout Illinois, and consultation with medical experts, economists, and vocational experts when necessary to determine what your case is actually worth.
I look at everything:
Then I put together a detailed demand package with all the medical records, bills, employment records, expert reports, and everything else we need, and I send it to the insurance company. This isn't some generic three-page letter—it's a comprehensive presentation of your case designed to show them we're serious, we know what we're doing, and we're not going away.
I've negotiated literally thousands of injury cases in my career. I know what they're worth, and I absolutely do not back down when insurance companies try to lowball my clients or play games.
About 90% of my cases settle during the negotiation phase before we ever have to file a lawsuit. But that doesn't mean I'm some pushover who rolls over for insurance companies to make my life easier. It means I negotiate aggressively, I fight for every single dollar you deserve, and I get my clients fair settlements without putting them through the stress, time commitment, and uncertainty of a trial.
Sometimes the insurance company makes a reasonable offer fairly quickly. Sometimes they don't, and we have to push harder. I'll always advise you on what I think you should do based on my experience, but the final decision about whether to accept a settlement is always yours. It's your case, your body, your life.
If the insurance company won't offer fair compensation for your injuries, I file a lawsuit. And I'm not scared of the courthouse. Not even a little bit.
A lot of lawyers avoid trials because they're expensive, they're time-consuming, they require real skill and preparation, and frankly, a lot of lawyers just aren't good at it. But here's the thing: insurance companies know which lawyers are serious about going to trial and which ones are just bluffing to try to get a slightly better settlement offer.
I'm not bluffing. I've had more than 30 jury trials in personal injury cases in my career, plus about 100 arbitrations and hundreds of depositions. I had my first jury trial after one month of practice. A judge once told me my courtroom presentation was one of the best he'd ever seen. I have more trial experience than lawyers who've been practicing twice as long as I have because I'm not afraid to fight for my clients in front of a judge and jury when that's what it takes to get them justice.
When the insurance company sees my name on a lawsuit, they know I mean business. They know I've spent over $100,000 of my own money on advanced trial training with the best lawyers in the country. They know I'm a graduate of the Gerry Spence Trial Lawyer's College and The Edge program. They know I'm prepared to take this case all the way to a verdict if they don't make a fair offer.
And that changes how they approach your case. Trust me on that.
Whether your case settles during negotiations or we take it all the way to a verdict at trial, my goal is always exactly the same: get you every single dollar you deserve for what you've been through.
When we win—and we win virtually all of our cases—here's how the money works:
If we lose—which rarely happens, but I'm not going to lie and say it never does—you don't pay me anything. Not a penny. Not one dollar. That's the contingency fee agreement. I eat all the costs I advanced on your case. You're out nothing except the time you invested.
Pretty good deal, right?
Let me be crystal clear about money because I know it's on your mind and you absolutely deserve straight answers.
You pay me nothing out of pocket. Zero dollars. Zilch. Nada. I advance all the case costs—filing fees, medical records, expert witnesses, depositions, whatever your case needs.
I only get paid if you get paid first. That's the deal, plain and simple.
For workers' compensation cases, my fee is 20%, which is set by Illinois state law. For personal injury cases, it's 33 1/3%, or 40% if we have to file a lawsuit or go to trial. For medical malpractice cases, it's 33 1/3%. These are standard rates across Illinois—they're not some special fee I made up.
If we lose your case—meaning you get nothing—you owe me nothing. I eat all the costs I advanced. You don't pay me back. You don't owe me anything. That's not how most businesses work, but that's how personal injury law works, and honestly, it's a pretty good deal for people who've been hurt and need help but don't have money lying around to pay expensive hourly legal fees.
Injuries don't happen during convenient business hours. You might be lying in a hospital bed at 2 in the morning with questions racing through your mind and nobody to talk to. You might get a call from an insurance adjuster on Sunday afternoon and not know what to say to them or whether you should even be talking to them at all.
Call me. Seriously. I'm available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. I mean that literally, not as some marketing slogan that sounds good but doesn't mean anything. When you call, you get actual help from me or someone on my team who knows what they're doing, not some useless voicemail system or answering service that takes a message and tells you someone will call you back in two business days.
You can call my office any time, night or day. The number is 312-500-4500.
Most lawyers go to law school, pass the bar exam, and think they're done learning. They handle cases the same way for thirty years because "that's how we've always done it."
Not me. Not even close.
I've spent well over $100,000 of my own money—not the firm's money, my personal money—flying around the country to study with the absolute best trial lawyers in America. I'm a graduate of the world-famous Gerry Spence Trial Lawyer's College. I've completed the exclusive KTI "The Edge" program. Not one in 10,000 lawyers has done this level of advanced trial training. It's expensive, it's time-consuming, it's hard work, and most lawyers never even consider doing it.
Why did I do it? So you get the absolute best representation possible when you hire me. When you're up against insurance companies with teams of lawyers and unlimited money to fight your claim and drag things out, you need someone in your corner who actually knows what they're doing. Someone who's invested the time, the money, and the effort to become one of the best trial lawyers around.
That's me. And I did it for you.
When my dad got hurt, his lawyer treated him like garbage. Like he didn't matter. Like he was just another case file to bill hours on and then forget about. I promised myself back then that I would never, ever do that to anyone.
Everyone on my team is trained to understand that winning your case while treating you with honesty, care, and respect is our number one goal. You'll get your phone calls returned, not ignored. You'll know where your case stands at every step of the process, not be left wondering what's happening. You'll have your questions answered in language you can actually understand, not confusing legal mumbo-jumbo designed to make lawyers sound smart and important.
I don't run a personal injury mill where cases get shuffled around to different associates and paralegals who don't even know your name. I personally handle your case. When you hire me, you work directly with me, not some junior lawyer who's never even been to trial or who's too busy to return your calls.
You know those lawyers who call you repeatedly after you've been in an accident? The ones who somehow got your phone number and won't leave you alone? Or the ones who show up at the hospital trying to sign people up while they're still in pain and barely know what happened to them?
That's not me. I would never do that, and honestly, it makes me sick when other lawyers do it.
I never chase clients. I never hustle or harass people with aggressive sales tactics. I never pressure anyone. Beware of cheesy lawyers who bad-mouth one another—it's unethical, and it tells you a lot about a lawyer if the only way they can get clients is to spread rumors about others. If we're going to work together, it's because you want to work with me, not because I wore you down with constant phone calls or some high-pressure sales pitch.
We talk like friends. I give you straight answers about your case, even if the answer isn't what you want to hear. You make your own decision about whether to hire me. And honestly, even if you don't hire me for whatever reason, I want us to end the conversation as friends. That's just how I operate.
If a lawyer is putting pressure on you or acting like some used car salesman, ask yourself: is that really the person you want representing you for the next year or two on one of the most important matters of your life?
Even if you think you're fine—even if you don't feel that hurt right after an accident—go see a doctor immediately. Like, that same day if at all possible, or at least within 24-48 hours.
Some injuries don't show symptoms right away. Whiplash can take days to develop fully. Soft tissue injuries might not hurt much at first and then get progressively worse. Even traumatic brain injuries can have delayed symptoms that don't show up until later.
If you wait days or weeks to get medical treatment, the insurance company will absolutely use that against you. They'll argue that you weren't really hurt, or at least not hurt badly. They'll say, "If they were actually injured like they claim, they would've gone to the emergency room right away or at least seen a doctor the next day."
Don't give them that ammunition to use against you. Go see a doctor. Get checked out. Document your injuries. It protects your health and it protects your legal case.
Insurance adjusters will call you shortly after your accident. They'll be friendly, sympathetic, concerned about how you're doing. They'll say things like, "We just want to get your side of the story" or "This will only take a few minutes, we just need to know what happened so we can process your claim."
And then they'll ask if you wouldn't mind giving a recorded statement about the accident.
Do not do it. Seriously. Just don't.
These adjusters are trained professionals. They go through extensive training on exactly how to ask questions that get you to say things that hurt your case without you even realizing it. They'll get you to minimize your injuries—"Oh, I'm feeling okay, I guess"—which they'll use later to argue you weren't seriously hurt. They'll get you to accept partial fault for the accident—"Well, I suppose I could have been watching more carefully"—which reduces what you can recover. They'll get you to say things that sound completely innocent but are actually devastating to your claim.
I represent people all the time who hire me AFTER they've already given a recorded statement, and usually I can work around it or fix it. But sometimes that recorded statement kills the case, or at least makes it worth way less than it should have been. It's one of the first things I investigate once I take over a case.
Just politely tell them you need to speak with a lawyer first. They'll probably push back and say you don't need a lawyer or that talking to a lawyer will just slow things down. That's a lie. Then call me. That's what I'm here for.
Insurance companies hire people specifically to monitor your Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok—all of it. They're actively looking for anything and everything they can use against you, and you'd be amazed at what they'll twist around to hurt your case.
That photo of you smiling at your kid's birthday party? They'll show it to the jury and argue you're not really in that much pain if you can smile in photos.
That post about going to the gym or taking a walk in the park? They'll claim your injuries aren't serious if you're physically capable of exercising.
That check-in at a restaurant or a friend's house? They'll argue you're exaggerating how much your injuries limit your daily activities and your ability to enjoy life.
The absolute best policy is to stay completely off social media until your case is resolved and you've gotten your settlement or verdict. I know that's hard in today's world where everyone shares everything online all the time, but your case and your financial recovery are way more important than your Instagram feed or your Facebook timeline.
If you absolutely can't stay off social media entirely—and I really wish you would—at least don't post anything, and I mean anything, about your accident, your injuries, your medical treatment, your physical activities, what you're doing, where you're going, or anything else that could possibly be twisted against you by some insurance company lawyer looking to deny your claim.
Trust me on this. I've seen good cases get absolutely destroyed because someone posted the wrong thing on Facebook and the insurance company found it.
I already talked about this earlier, but it's so critically important that it's worth repeating and emphasizing: the insurance company's first settlement offer is always, always, always way too low.
They're counting on you being desperate for money. They're counting on you not knowing what your case is actually worth. They're counting on you thinking, "Well, at least it's something, and I need money now."
Don't fall for it. Don't even consider accepting any settlement offer from any insurance company without at least talking to a lawyer first to find out what your case is really worth. Before you accept any offer, call me. I'll tell you if it's a fair offer or if they're trying to rip you off. The consultation is free, so what do you have to lose?
The other driver's insurance company is not your friend. They don't care about you. They don't care about your family. They don't care about your medical bills or your lost wages or your pain and suffering. Their only job—their entire reason for existing—is to pay you as little as possible. Ideally, they'd like to pay you nothing at all and deny your claim completely.
They might seem really nice on the phone. They might tell you that you don't need a lawyer and that having a lawyer will just slow things down and take money out of your pocket. They're lying to you. They're trying to save their company money by getting you to accept way less than you deserve or by getting you to say things that they can use to deny your claim entirely.
Don't talk to them. Don't give them a statement. Don't answer their questions. Don't sign anything they send you in the mail. Just politely tell them you need to speak with a lawyer first, and then let me handle all the communication with insurance companies from that point forward. That's literally what I do for a living, and I'm good at it.
Find Out What YOUR Case Might Be Worth...for free.
My office is in downtown Chicago at 1000 Jorie Blvd, Stw 204, oak Brook, IL 60523. But I regularly work with clients throughout Bedford Park and all the surrounding Cook County communities, including:
Here's the thing: I know getting to a lawyer's office downtown can be tough when you're injured and dealing with pain, mobility issues, or just the stress of everything you're going through. If you can't easily come to my office, I'll come to you. We can meet at your home in Bedford Park, at a restaurant on Archer Avenue, at a coffee shop, or really anywhere you feel comfortable.
Of course, I visit my clients all over Chicago and the suburbs. We can meet at your home or at a local restaurant. Really, anywhere you feel comfortable.
The point is to make this process as easy as possible for you during what's already a difficult and stressful time in your life.
If you've been hurt in Bedford Park or anywhere in Cook County because of someone else's negligence, you need to act now. Not next week when you "feel like dealing with it." Not when you "get around to it." Now.
Evidence disappears every single day. Surveillance video gets erased or written over after 30, 60, 90 days depending on the system. Witnesses forget what they saw or move away and become impossible to track down. Your own memory of exactly what happened starts to fade and become less clear. And the insurance company gets more and more aggressive the longer you wait because they know that time is working in their favor, not yours.
Call me right now for your free consultation. Remember, I'm available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Even if it's 11 o'clock at night or Sunday morning or Christmas Day, call me. I'm here.
Here's what happens when you call:
Remember the deal: no money out of your pocket, no fee until we win your case.
You have everything to gain and absolutely nothing to lose by calling me right now.
Don't let the insurance company take advantage of you during this vulnerable time when you're hurt, you're stressed, you're worried about bills and work and your family. Get an experienced Bedford Park injury lawyer who actually gives a damn about you on your side. Someone who will fight for you like you're family.
Your fight is my fight. That's not just some catchy slogan I came up with for marketing—that's a promise I make to every single client.
Call me now: (312) 500-4500
I look forward to hearing from you and finding out how I can help.
For most personal injury cases, you've got two years from the date you were injured. For workers' compensation cases, it's three years, but—and this is really important—you have to notify your employer that you were injured within 45 days of the accident.
There are some exceptions to these rules depending on the specific circumstances of your case, which is why you should talk to a lawyer as soon as possible after getting hurt. If you blow these deadlines, your case is over for good. The court will dismiss it, and you'll never be able to recover compensation for your injuries no matter how serious they are or how clear it is that someone else was at fault.
Don't take chances with these deadlines. Call me now.
Nothing out of pocket. Zero dollars.
I work on a contingency fee basis, which means I only get paid if you get paid first.
For workers' compensation cases, my fee is 20%, which is set by Illinois state law. For personal injury cases, my fee is 33 1/3%, or 40% if we have to file a lawsuit or go to trial. For medical malpractice cases, it's 33 1/3%. These are standard rates across Illinois—every personal injury lawyer charges basically the same thing.
If we lose your case and you get nothing, you pay me nothing. Not a penny. I eat all the case costs I advanced on your behalf—filing fees, medical records, expert witnesses, all of it. That's the deal.
It's not ideal, and I wish you hadn't, but it's usually not a total disaster either. I can often work with it or work around it.
Sometimes those insurance statements don't really hurt your case at all. Other times they can be problematic or even case-killers, depending on what you said and how they can twist your words.
The important thing is to call me right now so I can review what you said and figure out the best path forward for your case. And please, don't give them any more statements or answer any more questions without talking to me first. Let me handle all communication with the insurance companies from this point forward. That's what you're hiring me for.
Yes, you can. Illinois follows what's called "modified comparative negligence."
As long as you're less than 50% at fault for the accident, you can still recover damages. Your award will just be reduced by your percentage of fault.
For example, let's say your total damages are $100,000, but the jury finds you were 20% at fault for the accident. You'd recover $80,000 (which is $100,000 minus 20%).
But if you're found to be 50% or more at fault, you get nothing. Zero. That's why it's so important to have a good lawyer who knows how to argue fault issues and minimize your percentage of responsibility for what happened.
Don't let that stop you from getting the medical care you need. There are doctors and medical facilities that will treat you on what's called a "lien" basis.
A lien means the doctor agrees to get paid out of your settlement or verdict at the end of your case. So you can get treatment now without paying anything upfront, and the doctor gets paid later when we win your case.
The law limits how much doctors can get out of your settlement through a lien, and there are no liens on Workers' Compensation cases. From here, it gets awfully complicated, beyond what I can answer in a brief FAQ, but I have a lot of experience working these things out.
I can help connect you with doctors who work on a lien basis if you need it. Your health is the most important thing, and you shouldn't avoid getting medical treatment just because you don't have insurance or money right now.
It depends on a lot of factors, and anyone who gives you a definite answer without knowing the details of your case is lying to you.
I once settled a case in 30 minutes. I've settled several in several months. Most cases that settle can take a year, give or take. If we have to file a lawsuit and go all the way to trial, it could be two years or more until we get a trial date.
The timeline depends on things like:
What I can promise you is that I push every single case as hard as possible because you don't get paid waiting around, and neither do I. I always push my cases, because you do not get paid waiting, and neither do I.
Maybe not. About 90% of my cases settle before we ever have to go to trial.
If we do have to file a lawsuit, you might need to come downtown to the courthouse 2-3 times before trial for things like your deposition (where the other side's lawyer asks you questions under oath about what happened). And if we actually go to trial, you'll need to be there for the entire trial from start to finish.
But the vast majority of cases never get that far because we settle them during negotiations or mediation.
Not at all. But we must be 100% up front and honest about your medical condition before your accident or injury.
It's not automatically a deal-breaker. The law allows you to make a claim for what's called "exacerbation of a pre-existing condition"—which means your accident made an existing problem worse, even if you had the same or similar problem before.
The key is being 100% honest and upfront about your prior injury history from the very beginning. The insurance company is going to find out about your prior injuries anyway when they get your complete medical records from all your previous doctors and hospitals. If they think you lied to them or tried to hide something, it destroys your credibility with the insurance company and potentially with a jury, and that can absolutely wreck your case.
Honesty is always the best policy. Always. You should never, NEVER lie about any part of your case, ever. People who lie always get caught in some way in injury cases, and then, their case is worth nothing.
Nope. It's a violation of federal law for your employer to fire you or retaliate against you in any way for filing a workers' comp claim. It's your legal right to file a claim if you're injured at work.
That said, proving that you were fired specifically for filing a workers' comp claim (and not for some other reason your employer makes up after the fact) can be tricky. But my office handles these "retaliatory discharge" cases, and I know how to prove them. They are hard cases to prove, but you have to be able to prove you were fired for filing a Workers' Comp case and not some other reason.
You might still be able to recover compensation through your own insurance policy if you have what's called "uninsured motorist coverage" or "UM coverage."
This is coverage you purchase on your own auto insurance policy that protects you when you're hit by a driver who has no insurance or not enough insurance to cover your damages. A lot of people don't even realize they have this coverage because they've never actually read their insurance policy carefully or asked about it.
I check every insurance policy very carefully to find all possible sources of recovery for my clients. Sometimes there's coverage available that even the insurance company doesn't bother to mention to you because they don't want to pay it.
Main Office:
1000 Jorie Blvd Ste 204
Oak Brook, IL 60523
New Cases: 312-500-4500
Office: 1 312-895-0545
Fax: 1 866-629-1817
service@desalvolaw.com
Chicago and Other Suburban Offices
By Appointment Only
