When you've been injured and suddenly find yourself drowning in medical bills while insurance adjusters call offering settlements that sound generous until you realize they wouldn't even cover next month's mortgage payment, you need a Des Plaines Personal Injury Attorney who knows exactly how insurance companies calculate these insultingly low offers and refuses to let them get away with it. I'm Scott DeSalvo, and for the past twenty-seven years I've been forcing insurance companies throughout Chicago's northwest suburbs to pay full compensation instead of the bargain-basement offers they'd prefer. Whether your injury happened on Mannheim Road near Rivers Casino, at O'Hare near the airport hotels, or anywhere else in Des Plaines and the surrounding area, the Des Plaines Personal Injury Attorney you select determines whether you receive adequate compensation or just get dismissed.
The Story Behind My Commitment to Injury Victims
Let me explain why I fight so aggressively for every single client.
I was nine years old when my father—a hardworking truck driver and Teamster—suffered a catastrophic workplace accident. The injuries to his neck, back, and spine were permanent and life-changing. He would never fully recover.
Watching him in constant pain was difficult, but what came next destroyed our family in ways the physical injury never could.
My father hired an attorney who seemed professional and competent. Instead, these lawyers proved to be dismissive, failed to communicate, completely mishandled his case, and allowed it to drag on for an unconscionable seventeen years of legal purgatory.
And then—in a betrayal that still infuriates me decades later—his own lawyer sued him for additional fees.
Our family went from financial stability to poverty literally overnight. My mother worked exhaustingly just to keep us fed. My father endured not just chronic pain but also the psychological trauma of being abandoned by the legal system that was supposed to protect injured workers.
I watched this destruction unfold every single day. Even as a child, I understood something was fundamentally, terribly wrong. I promised myself I would become a lawyer who actually protects people instead of exploiting them.
That childhood promise is the foundation of my practice as a Des Plaines Personal Injury Attorney. Every injured person who contacts me represents my father. Every family facing impossible circumstances deserves better than what my family received. And I absolutely refuse to perpetuate the betrayal we experienced.
As your Des Plaines Personal Injury Attorney, I handle all injury claim categories:
Des Plaines' roadway system creates persistent collision risks.
Mannheim Road carries extremely heavy traffic with numerous businesses generating constant turning movements. Lee Street and Touhy Avenue connect residential areas with commercial zones. The I-90/I-294 interchange is particularly dangerous where high-speed merging occurs constantly. Golf Road through Des Plaines sees endless accidents.
The intersection at Mannheim and Golf Road alone generates dozens of serious collisions annually. O'Hare proximity brings unfamiliar drivers navigating rental cars, creating additional hazards.
Vehicle collision cases immediately become complicated. Disputed liability. Multiple parties involved. Conflicting testimony. Insurance companies deploying sophisticated denial strategies.
You need a Des Plaines Personal Injury Attorney who excels at accident reconstruction, effectively interviews witnesses, thoroughly analyzes police reports for bias, and conclusively establishes fault.
Des Plaines' proximity to O'Hare International Airport creates unique injury scenarios. Airport area accidents involve specific complexities.
Common O'Hare-area situations include:
Airport-area cases often involve corporate defendants, multiple insurance policies, and complex jurisdiction issues. Determining liability requires understanding transportation regulations, corporate structures, and premises liability standards.
An experienced Des Plaines Personal Injury Attorney knows how to navigate these complex cases, identify all potentially liable parties, and maximize your recovery from multiple insurance sources.
Rivers Casino attracts thousands of visitors to Des Plaines, creating significant premises liability exposure.
Casino-related injuries include:
Casinos have sophisticated legal departments and substantial insurance coverage. They document everything meticulously and fight claims aggressively. Winning requires an attorney who understands casino operations, security obligations, and Illinois gaming regulations.
A knowledgeable Des Plaines Personal Injury Attorney knows how to prove casino negligence despite their aggressive defense tactics and extensive documentation systems.
Des Plaines maintains a significant industrial base with manufacturing facilities, warehouses, and distribution centers. Industrial workplaces create serious injury risks.
Industrial workplace injuries include:
Industrial employers and workers' compensation carriers aggressively contest claims. They minimize injury severity. They question work-relatedness. They pressure premature return to work.
As your Des Plaines Personal Injury Attorney handling industrial workers' comp cases, I ensure you receive independent medical treatment, complete wage replacement benefits, and maximum settlements reflecting your true permanent limitations—not whatever insurers want to pay. My fee is statutorily set at 20 percent.
The Metra Union Pacific Northwest Line runs through Des Plaines with stations serving thousands of daily commuters. Commuter rail creates unique accident scenarios.
Common situations include:
Railroad accidents involve complex federal regulations and liability analysis. Determining whether Metra, Union Pacific, contractors, or other parties bear responsibility requires sophisticated legal knowledge.
An experienced Des Plaines Personal Injury Attorney understands railroad liability law, knows federal safety regulations, and can navigate intricate claims processes against transportation entities.
Des Plaines' commercial districts host numerous retail establishments and restaurants. These businesses owe customers duties to maintain reasonably safe premises.
Premises liability scenarios include:
Property owners immediately adopt defensive postures after injuries occur. They deny hazard knowledge. They claim conditions were "open and obvious." They rapidly repair whatever caused injury to eliminate proof.
You must act immediately. Document everything with photographs and witness information. As a Des Plaines Personal Injury Attorney regularly handling premises cases, I know how to secure critical evidence before property owners destroy it.
When healthcare providers deliver substandard care causing preventable harm, victims deserve accountability and compensation. Medical malpractice represents some of personal injury law's most complex cases.
Medical malpractice scenarios include:
Medical malpractice cases demand extensive expert testimony, thorough record analysis, and substantial financial investment. Most attorneys completely avoid medical malpractice because of complexity and expense.
I accept medical malpractice cases when negligence is clear and harm is substantial. My fee is 33⅓ percent, Illinois standard. As your Des Plaines Personal Injury Attorney, I'll hold negligent healthcare providers accountable.
Discovering a loved one suffered abuse or neglect in a facility promising safety and care is heartbreaking.
Elder care violations include:
If you suspect abuse or neglect, act immediately. Document observations with photographs and detailed notes. Report concerns to facility management in writing. Contact an attorney experienced in elder abuse litigation.
Facilities will deny wrongdoing, blame residents' conditions, and conceal evidence. I know how to obtain complete records, interview staff confidentially, consult geriatric experts, and prove systematic failures. As your Des Plaines Personal Injury Attorney, I'll pursue justice for vulnerable seniors.
Des Plaines' ongoing development means construction sites throughout the community. Construction workplaces are inherently dangerous, and serious injuries occur despite safety regulations.
Construction injuries include:
Construction cases are unique because beyond workers' compensation, you often have additional claims against general contractors, subcontractors, equipment manufacturers, or property owners. These "third-party" claims can provide substantially greater compensation than workers' comp alone.
Most injured construction workers don't know these additional claims exist. A knowledgeable Des Plaines Personal Injury Attorney investigates every angle to maximize your total recovery from all responsible parties.
Illinois imposes strict liability for dog bites. When a dog bites in Illinois, the owner is automatically liable regardless of the animal's history or the owner's knowledge.
Dog bite injuries can be serious:
Dog owners and homeowner's insurance carriers will claim provocation or trespassing. They'll minimize injury severity and pressure quick low settlements.
An experienced Des Plaines Personal Injury Attorney knows Illinois dog bite law thoroughly, understands homeowner's coverage, and will pursue complete compensation including future scarring and psychological treatment.
No words adequately express the devastation of losing a loved one to negligence. Illinois wrongful death law provides certain family members pathways to justice and compensation.
Wrongful death claims arise from:
I approach wrongful death cases with profound seriousness and compassion. These cases address not just economic losses but also the immeasurable loss of companionship, guidance, and love.
If you've lost a family member due to negligence in Des Plaines or anywhere in Cook County's northwest suburbs, please contact me. As your Des Plaines Personal Injury Attorney, I'll pursue justice with dedication these tragic cases demand.
Some injuries permanently transform every life aspect.
Catastrophic injury cases include:
These cases require far more than current medical bill calculations. You need life care planners projecting lifetime medical needs. Vocational experts assessing lost earning capacity. Economists calculating present value of future losses.
Insurance companies attempt minimizing even catastrophic cases. I work with nationally recognized experts documenting your losses' full scope. My trial training at Gerry Spence's Trial Lawyers College specifically prepared me for these high-stakes cases demanding maximum compensation.
You won't pay a single dollar upfront. Not for consultation. Not for case expenses. Absolutely nothing.
I work on pure contingency—payment only when you get paid first. I advance every case expense: filing fees, medical records, expert witnesses, depositions, everything.
My fees are straightforward: 20% for workers' compensation (state statutory rate), 33⅓% for personal injury cases, or 40% if litigation becomes necessary. Medical malpractice is 33⅓%. These represent standard Illinois rates.
If we lose your case, you owe me nothing. I absorb advanced costs. That's my promise, honored for 27 years as a Des Plaines Personal Injury Attorney.
Injuries don't respect business hours. You might be in an emergency room at 3 a.m. with urgent questions. Insurance adjusters might ambush you with Sunday morning calls.
Call me any time—literally 24/7/365. You reach me or my team directly. No voicemail systems. No answering services promising callbacks that never materialize.
That accessibility is rare among attorneys but essential for injury victims. As your Des Plaines Personal Injury Attorney, I'm committed to availability whenever you need assistance.
Some firms operate like assembly lines. The attorney you initially meet never touches your case again. You get shuffled to paralegals who don't know your circumstances.
That's not my practice. When you hire me, you work with me personally. I return your calls. I meet with you. I negotiate with insurers. If we go to trial, I'm standing beside you.
You're not a case file—you're a person who's been hurt and deserves dedicated representation. As your Des Plaines Personal Injury Attorney, I treat you how I wish my father had been treated.
Most lawyers finish law school, pass the bar, and consider education complete. That's inadequate for serious injury work.
I've invested over $100,000 in advanced trial training with America's premier trial lawyers. I graduated from Gerry Spence's Trial Lawyers College—one of the most selective programs existing. I completed The Edge program, elite training fewer than one in 10,000 lawyers ever attempts.
This training matters tremendously. When facing insurance companies with unlimited resources and defense teams, you need someone who knows how to try cases and win. That's what I bring as your Des Plaines Personal Injury Attorney.
I treat clients with complete honesty—no pressure tactics, no false promises, no games. You'll always know where your case stands because I communicate clearly and regularly.
I'll give you my honest assessment even if it's not what you want to hear. If your case has problems, I'll explain them. If settlement offers are inadequate, I'll tell you why. If litigation is necessary, I'll explain what that means.
I don't make guarantees I can't keep. What I promise is fighting as hard for you as I would for my own family. As your Des Plaines Personal Injury Attorney, you get my absolute best effort.
Even if you feel relatively okay, seek medical attention immediately. Many serious injuries don't produce immediate symptoms. Whiplash manifests hours later. Internal bleeding might not be obvious. Traumatic brain injuries can take days to show effects.
If you delay medical care, insurance companies will argue you weren't really injured. Don't hand them that argument. Get evaluated by medical professionals immediately after any accident.
Photograph everything. The accident scene from multiple angles. Your injuries as they appear and develop. Property damage. Hazardous conditions that contributed to injury.
Collect witness information—names, phone numbers, addresses. Witnesses disappear quickly and memories fade.
Keep every document: medical records, bills, prescription receipts, insurance correspondence, wage loss documentation. This creates your evidentiary foundation.
Insurance adjusters will contact you quickly, sounding friendly and concerned. They'll request a recorded statement "just to document what happened."
Decline politely but firmly.
Adjusters use interrogation techniques to elicit damaging statements. They ask leading questions. They get you minimizing injuries or accepting partial fault. They create inconsistencies they'll exploit later.
Tell them you need to consult an attorney first, then call me. As your Des Plaines Personal Injury Attorney, I'll handle all insurance communications.
Insurance companies make rapid lowball offers betting you don't understand your case's value and are financially desperate enough to accept anything.
Once you accept and sign the release, you can never return for additional compensation—even if you later discover injuries are far worse than initially understood.
Before accepting any settlement, call me for free consultation. I'll assess whether their offer is remotely fair or exploitative.
Insurance companies monitor social media obsessively. They search for anything contradicting injury claims or suggesting exaggeration.
That photo of you smiling at an event? They'll claim you can't be in pain. That gym check-in? They'll argue injuries aren't serious.
Safest approach: complete social media silence until your case resolves. If impossible, absolutely don't post about your accident, injuries, activities, or emotional state.
Evidence vanishes quickly. Surveillance footage gets recorded over. Witnesses move or forget. Property owners repair hazards and deny they existed. Insurance companies solidify denial positions.
By the time you finally hire a lawyer, critical evidence may be permanently lost. The winnable case becomes impossible to prove.
Don't wait. Call an experienced Des Plaines Personal Injury Attorney immediately. Early intervention preserves evidence and protects your rights.
Insurance companies employ full-time adjusters and attorneys whose sole purpose is minimizing payouts. They know you don't understand Illinois law. They know you don't know fair value. They know you're probably financially desperate.
They'll exploit every advantage ruthlessly.
Even seemingly simple cases benefit enormously from experienced representation. The difference between self-representation and hiring a skilled Des Plaines Personal Injury Attorney can easily be tens of thousands of dollars.
Be completely truthful about injuries, medical history, and accident impact. If you've had prior injuries, disclose them. If you can do some activities but not others, explain specifically.
Insurance companies investigate everything. They'll obtain all medical records. They'll hire investigators. They'll search social media exhaustively. If they catch you lying, your case evaporates.
Complete honesty is essential. As your Des Plaines Personal Injury Attorney, I need truth so I can address potential problems proactively rather than get blindsided.
If you skip appointments or ignore doctor recommendations, insurance companies will argue injuries can't be serious. Consistent medical care proves injury severity and creates documentation we need to win.
Attend every appointment. Follow prescribed treatments. Take medications as directed. Complete recommended therapy. This helps you heal and strengthens your legal claim simultaneously.
The other party's insurance company is not your friend. They exist to pay you as little as possible—ideally nothing.
They'll seem pleasant. They'll tell you lawyers just complicate things. Every word is calculated deception.
Don't engage with them. Let me handle every interaction. That's what you hire a Des Plaines Personal Injury Attorney to do.
Illinois generally allows two years from injury date to file personal injury lawsuits. Workers' compensation cases provide three years, but you must notify your employer within 45 days.
Exceptions exist, so don't assume you have the full period. Medical malpractice, governmental liability, and other situations have different deadlines.
The sooner you contact a Des Plaines Personal Injury Attorney, the stronger your case becomes. Evidence quality degrades rapidly with time.
Many people think they can only recover medical expenses. Illinois law allows comprehensive compensation:
Insurance companies won't inform you about these categories. That's why you need a Des Plaines Personal Injury Attorney pursuing every dollar you're entitled to receive.
Illinois uses modified comparative negligence. You can recover damages as long as you're less than 50% at fault. Your award gets reduced by your fault percentage.
Example: You're 40% at fault. Total damages are $150,000. You recover $90,000.
Insurance companies always try inflating your fault percentage. A skilled Des Plaines Personal Injury Attorney fights to ensure fault allocation is accurate and fair.
Find Out What YOUR Case Might Be Worth...for free.
We begin with no-obligation consultation. Call me 24/7, or we'll meet wherever is convenient—my office, your home, even the hospital if necessary.
I'll listen carefully, answer questions honestly, and give you genuine assessment—strengths, weaknesses, realistic expectations.
You decide whether to hire me. No pressure. No obligation. No cost.
If you hire me, I launch into immediate action. Obtaining police reports. Interviewing witnesses. Photographing scenes. Collecting medical records. Analyzing policies. Consulting experts when necessary.
I use proprietary case management software I developed to handle cases more efficiently than traditional firms. This means we discover critical information earlier and build stronger cases faster.
Your health is absolute priority. If you have insurance, use it. If you lack insurance, I'll connect you with quality providers who treat on a lien basis—waiting for payment until we resolve your case.
I ensure all treatment is thoroughly documented. This creates the medical evidence foundation we need.
After you complete treatment, I calculate your case's full value. This includes medical expenses, wage loss, pain and suffering, permanent disability, and all other damages.
I send comprehensive demand packages to insurance companies. Having negotiated thousands of settlements over 27 years, I know these cases' true values. I don't accept inadequate offers.
Approximately 90% of my cases settle during negotiation. But that high settlement rate exists because insurance companies know I'm fully prepared to try cases.
If insurers refuse fair compensation, I file lawsuits without hesitation. I've handled over 30 jury trials plus hundreds of depositions and arbitrations. Some attorneys fear courtrooms. I don't.
When insurance companies see you have a Des Plaines Personal Injury Attorney ready to take the case to verdict, they typically settle rather than risk jury judgment.
Whether through settlement or verdict, my goal is always maximizing your compensation. When we succeed, I deduct my contingency fee, subtract advanced costs, and you receive the remainder.
If we lose—which happens rarely—you pay me nothing. That's my promise as your Des Plaines Personal Injury Attorney.
Illinois typically allows two years from injury date to file personal injury lawsuits. Workers' compensation cases provide three years, but employer notification is required within 45 days.
Exceptions exist to these rules. The sooner you contact a Des Plaines Personal Injury Attorney, the better your case prospects become because evidence degrades over time.
Nothing upfront, nothing out of pocket. Pure contingency—I only get paid when you get paid.
My fee is 20% for workers' compensation (statutory rate), 33⅓% for injury cases, or 40% if we must file suit. These are standard Illinois rates. I advance all costs. If we lose, you owe me nothing.
Hiring a Des Plaines Personal Injury Attorney on contingency means everyone can afford quality legal representation regardless of financial situation.
Absolutely not. Never accept without consulting an attorney first.
Initial offers are always lowball. The insurance company bets you don't know your case's true value and are desperate enough to accept anything.
Once you sign the release and accept payment, you can't return later for additional money—even if injuries prove far worse than initially thought.
Call me before accepting anything. Free consultation, no obligation. I'll assess whether the offer is fair or exploitative.
Yes, provided you're less than 50% at fault. Illinois uses modified comparative negligence, reducing your award by your fault percentage.
Example: You're 20% at fault. Damages are $185,000. You recover $148,000.
Insurance companies love inflating your fault percentage. A skilled Des Plaines Personal Injury Attorney fights to ensure fault allocation is accurate and fair.
Yes. I can connect you with medical providers who treat on a lien basis. They provide care now and receive payment later from your settlement.
Don't let insurance absence prevent you from getting necessary care. Your health is paramount, and as your Des Plaines Personal Injury Attorney, I'll ensure you receive proper treatment.
It depends on multiple variables:
Some cases settle within months. Others require a year or longer. What I promise is aggressive case prosecution because you need money now, not years from now.
An experienced Des Plaines Personal Injury Attorney knows how to move cases efficiently while maximizing results.
Probably not. Roughly 90% of my cases settle without trial.
If we file suit, you might need courtroom appearances for depositions or hearings. If we actually try the case, you'll need to testify.
But most cases resolve through negotiation. When insurance companies know you have a Des Plaines Personal Injury Attorney prepared to try the case, they typically settle rather than risk a jury verdict.
It doesn't automatically kill your case. Illinois law permits claims for "aggravation" or "exacerbation" of pre-existing conditions.
The key is complete honesty about medical history. Insurance companies will obtain previous records anyway. If you lie or conceal past injuries, it destroys your credibility completely.
A Des Plaines Personal Injury Attorney experienced with pre-existing condition cases knows how to prove this accident significantly worsened your prior condition.
No. Illinois law prohibits retaliation for filing workers' compensation claims.
Of course, proving retaliation can be challenging. Employers rarely admit "we fired you for filing workers' comp." They'll claim performance issues or other pretexts.
If you believe you were fired in retaliation, call me immediately. I handle retaliatory discharge cases and know how to prove them. As your Des Plaines Personal Injury Attorney, I'll protect your rights vigorously.
You might still recover through your uninsured motorist (UM) coverage.
Many people don't realize their own auto policy includes this coverage. It protects you when hit by uninsured or underinsured drivers.
I examine every insurance policy thoroughly—yours, the at-fault driver's, any other potentially liable parties—to identify every possible recovery source. A thorough Des Plaines Personal Injury Attorney explores all options to maximize your compensation.
Scott DeSalvo founded DeSalvo Law to help injured people throughout Chicago and surrounding suburbs. Licensed to practice law in Illinois since 1998, IARDC #6244452, Scott has represented over 3,000 clients in personal injury, workers compensation, and accident cases.
No Fee Unless You Win | Free Consultation | 24/7 Availability Call or Text: (312) 500-4500
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Main Office:
1000 Jorie Blvd Ste 204
Oak Brook, IL 60523
New Cases: 312-500-4500
Office: 312-895-0545
Fax: 866-629-1817
service@desalvolaw.com
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