Getting seriously injured creates instant chaos—medical bills piling up while you can't work, insurance adjusters calling with settlement offers calculated to be just enough that desperate people accept them before understanding their case's true value, and family members asking questions you can't answer because nobody explained how Illinois injury law actually works. I'm Scott DeSalvo, a Glenview Personal Injury Attorney who's been stopping insurance companies from exploiting injured people for twenty-seven years throughout Chicago's North Shore. Whether your injury occurred on Waukegan Road near Glenview's business district, at The Glen shopping center, or anywhere else in Cook County's northern suburbs, choosing the right Glenview Personal Injury Attorney determines whether you get fair compensation or just get dismissed with whatever lowball offer adjusters think you'll accept.
Why I Fight So Hard For Injury Victims
My commitment to injured people isn't abstract—it's deeply personal.
When I was nine, my father suffered devastating workplace injuries. He was a Teamster truck driver whose back, neck, and spinal injuries ended his career and changed our family forever.
The physical injuries were terrible, but what his own attorney did to him was worse.
My father hired lawyers who seemed professional initially but proved incompetent and dishonest. They failed to communicate. They mishandled his case completely. They let it drag through seventeen years of pointless legal proceedings.
Then—in an act of stunning betrayal—his own lawyers sued him for additional fees after delivering terrible results.
We went from stable working-class life to poverty overnight. My mother worked herself to exhaustion just to pay bills. My father lived with chronic pain compounded by devastating psychological damage from being abandoned by attorneys who were supposed to help him.
I watched this happen every single day throughout my childhood. Even young, I recognized something fundamentally wrong—lawyers exploiting the very people they promised to protect.
I became an attorney to ensure no family ever experiences what mine endured. Every client who contacts me represents my father. Every injured person deserves attorneys who actually fight for them instead of treating them like revenue sources.
That's why I became a Glenview Personal Injury Attorney—to give injured people the representation my father never received.
Glenview occupies a distinctive position among Chicago's North Shore suburbs. This creates specific injury scenarios generic attorneys often mishandle.
Here's what makes Glenview cases unique:
When you hire a Glenview Personal Injury Attorney with genuine local expertise, you're hiring someone who understands these specific risks. I know which intersections repeatedly generate serious collisions. I know local property owners' maintenance histories. I know Cook County's northern suburban court procedures intimately.
Chicago lawyers who occasionally handle Glenview cases lack this institutional knowledge. A Glenview Personal Injury Attorney rooted in the North Shore understands local juries, knows area court staff, and can navigate complex cases efficiently.
Most people don't realize Cook County operates through multiple courthouse divisions with substantially different procedures.
Glenview cases typically proceed through Cook County's Skokie courthouse in the northern suburban division. This division has unique local rules, specific motion practice standards, and individual judge preferences that significantly impact case outcomes.
Attorneys unfamiliar with Cook County's northern courts struggle with procedural requirements. They miss critical deadlines. They fumble through unfamiliar protocols. They don't understand how specific judges approach settlement conferences or evidentiary rulings.
I've practiced extensively in Cook County northern suburban courts for decades. I know courthouse operations thoroughly. I know judges and their individual approaches to personal injury cases. That familiarity directly improves your case outcome because I'm not learning procedures on your dime—I already know how everything works.
As your Glenview Personal Injury Attorney, I handle all injury categories:
Glenview's roadway network creates constant collision risks.
Waukegan Road serves as a major north-south artery with heavy commercial and commuter traffic. Glenview Road connects residential areas with shopping districts. Milwaukee Avenue brings additional traffic volume. The intersection at Waukegan and Glenview generates numerous serious accidents annually.
The Glen's massive retail and entertainment complex creates additional pedestrian and vehicular conflicts. Parking lots, turning movements, and distracted drivers combine dangerously.
Vehicle collision cases immediately become complicated. Disputed fault. Multiple insurance policies. Conflicting witness accounts. Sophisticated insurance company denial tactics.
You need a Glenview Personal Injury Attorney who excels at accident reconstruction, witnesses interviews effectively, analyzes police reports critically for bias, and establishes fault conclusively.
Glenbrook Hospital serves Glenview and surrounding North Shore communities. When healthcare providers at Glenbrook or affiliated facilities deliver substandard care causing preventable harm, victims deserve accountability.
Hospital-based medical malpractice includes:
Hospital malpractice cases are extraordinarily complex. They require extensive expert testimony, detailed record analysis, and substantial financial investment. Most attorneys completely avoid medical malpractice.
I accept medical malpractice cases when negligence is clear and harm is substantial. My fee is 33⅓ percent, Illinois standard. As your Glenview Personal Injury Attorney, I'll hold negligent providers accountable.
The Glen's mixed-use development attracts thousands of visitors daily. This creates significant premises liability exposure.
Glen-related injuries include:
Large commercial property owners have sophisticated legal departments and aggressive insurance carriers. They document everything meticulously and fight claims hard.
Winning requires an attorney who understands complex commercial property operations, security obligations, and Illinois premises liability law. A knowledgeable Glenview Personal Injury Attorney knows how to prove property owner negligence despite their aggressive defense tactics.
The Metra Milwaukee District North Line runs through Glenview with stations serving thousands of daily commuters. Commuter rail creates unique accident scenarios.
Common situations include:
Railroad accidents involve complex federal regulations and multi-party liability analysis. Determining whether Metra, contractors, municipalities, or other parties bear responsibility requires sophisticated legal knowledge.
An experienced Glenview Personal Injury Attorney understands railroad liability law, knows federal safety regulations, and can navigate complicated claims processes against transportation entities.
Glenview's proximity to Naval Station Great Lakes creates unique injury scenarios involving military personnel and civilian interactions.
These cases might involve:
Cases involving military personnel or government vehicles require understanding federal tort claims, sovereign immunity exceptions, and specific procedural requirements.
A Glenview Personal Injury Attorney familiar with federal claims knows how to navigate these complex jurisdictional issues and pursue all available recovery avenues.
Glenview's affluent residential neighborhoods create specific premises liability scenarios.
Residential property cases include:
Wealthy homeowners typically carry substantial liability insurance, making these cases financially viable. However, insurers defend aggressively using sophisticated arguments about open and obvious conditions, trespasser status, and comparative negligence.
Winning requires a Glenview Personal Injury Attorney who thoroughly understands Illinois premises liability law and can overcome insurance company defenses.
Glenview hosts numerous corporate offices and business parks. Office workplace injuries create workers' compensation claims and potential third-party liability cases.
Workplace injuries include:
Workers' compensation provides benefits but often doesn't fully compensate for serious injuries. Third-party claims against property owners, contractors, or equipment manufacturers can provide additional recovery.
A knowledgeable Glenview Personal Injury Attorney investigates every angle to maximize total recovery through workers' comp plus third-party claims. My workers' comp fee is 20 percent by state statute.
Glenview has multiple senior living facilities and nursing homes. When these facilities fail to provide adequate care, residents suffer preventable injuries.
Elder care negligence includes:
Facilities will deny wrongdoing, blame residents' pre-existing conditions, and conceal evidence of systematic failures.
I know how to obtain complete medical records, interview staff confidentially, consult geriatric experts, and prove facility negligence. As your Glenview Personal Injury Attorney, I pursue justice for vulnerable seniors who trusted facilities that failed them.
Glenview promotes walkability and bicycle-friendly infrastructure, but accidents still occur when drivers fail to exercise proper caution.
Bicycle and pedestrian accidents often result in severe injuries:
Juries sometimes harbor bias against cyclists and pedestrians, believing they shouldn't have been on the road or should have been more careful.
These cases require an attorney who fights against that bias and establishes driver liability clearly. A skilled Glenview Personal Injury Attorney knows how to prove these cases and secure fair compensation despite jury prejudice.
Glenview's major roadways carry significant commercial truck traffic serving businesses throughout the area. Truck accidents create catastrophic injuries and complex legal issues.
Commercial truck cases involve:
Truck accident cases require understanding Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, electronic logging devices, corporate structures, and multiple insurance policies.
You need a Glenview Personal Injury Attorney who knows how to go after trucking companies, brokers, shippers, and all potentially liable parties—not just the individual driver.
Some injuries permanently alter every aspect of life.
Catastrophic injury cases include:
These cases demand more than calculating current medical bills. 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 high-stakes cases demanding maximum compensation.
Losing a loved one to negligence is devastating beyond words. 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 immeasurable loss of companionship, guidance, and love.
If you've lost a family member to negligence in Glenview or anywhere in Cook County's northern suburbs, please contact me. As your Glenview Personal Injury Attorney, I'll pursue justice with the dedication these tragic cases demand.
You won't pay anything upfront. Nothing for consultation. Nothing for case expenses. Zero out of pocket.
I work on pure contingency—I only get paid when you get paid first. I advance every case expense: filing fees, medical records, expert witnesses, depositions, everything.
My fees are transparent: 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 Glenview Personal Injury Attorney.
Injuries don't respect business hours. You might be in an emergency room at midnight with urgent questions. Insurance adjusters might ambush you with weekend calls.
Call me any time—literally 24/7/365. You reach me or my team directly. No automated systems. No answering services promising callbacks that never come.
That accessibility is rare among attorneys but essential for injury victims. As your Glenview Personal Injury Attorney, I'm committed to availability whenever you need help.
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 in existence. 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 Glenview Personal Injury Attorney.
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 try your case, I'm standing beside you in court.
You're not a file number—you're a person who's been hurt and deserves dedicated representation. As your Glenview Personal Injury Attorney, I treat you how I wish my father had been treated.
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 weaknesses, 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 Glenview 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 Glenview 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 Glenview 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 Glenview 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 Glenview 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 Glenview Personal Injury Attorney to do.
Find Out What YOUR Case Might Be Worth...for free.
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 Glenview 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 Glenview 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 30% at fault. Total damages are $200,000. You recover $140,000.
Insurance companies always try inflating your fault percentage. A skilled Glenview Personal Injury Attorney fights to ensure fault allocation is accurate and fair.
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 Glenview 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 Glenview 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 Glenview 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 Glenview 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 25% at fault. Damages are $160,000. You recover $120,000.
Insurance companies love inflating your fault percentage. A skilled Glenview Personal Injury Attorney fights to ensure fault allocation is accurate and fair.
Don't let insurance absence prevent you from getting necessary care. I can connect you with medical providers who treat on a lien basis—providing care now and receiving payment later from your settlement.
Your health is paramount. As your Glenview 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 Glenview 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 Glenview 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 Glenview 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 Glenview 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 Glenview 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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