Chicago Accident Attorney BEGS You To Protect Your Case Deadline. 

Cases that happen in Illinois versus out of State.

Each State has different deadlines.  They are usually similar, but make sure you know eehere you injury happened.  This will probably control which State Statute of Limitations law applies to your injury case.

Car, Truck, Motorcycle, All Motor Vehicle.

In most car crash cases or motor vehicle injury cases, you have two years to file a law suit.  If your case is against a government entity, like a fire department employee, police officer, City worker, or against the CTA, then you have ONE YEAR to file a law suit.  

Cities have special protection so you have less time to file a law suit.  This is why talking to a Chicago Accident lawyer right after your crash is so important.  Your lawyer will do a thorough investigation to find out who ALL of the Defendants are. 

If you bring your case to a lawyer late, you may have already missed a Defendant and missed your opportunity to file a case against them.  And, it also means your lawyer cannot get a settlement for you if they get the case too late.

Work Injury

Workers Comp cases have two deadlines.

The first is called the "45 day rule".  That means you have 45 days from the date of your at work injury to inform your eemployer about your injury.  This usually isn't a big deal if your boss witnessed or was at work when you got hurt on the job.  

But, sometimes people get hurt and keep quiet about it.  They do not want to make a big deal.  So they do not report the injury until later.  In these cases, reporting your work injury in writing is a good idea.  The Workers Compensation Commission has forms on their website for that. Or your lawyer can send notice for you.

The second deadline in Workers Comp is 3 YEARS from the date of your injury. That is your deadline to file an actual Workers Comp case at the Commission.

If you miss these deadlines, your case could be over.

Fall Down Case and Injury on Property

These deadlines are usually 2 years from the date of your injury.  If you are suing or making an injury case against a City or State, then the one year deadline applies.

Identifying all the people we have to sue (Defendants) can be hard in 'premises liability' cases because corporations hide their ownership of property.  And there is no police report which gives us the name and insurance of driver as in a car accident case.  As a result, we sometimes must file a lawsuit in a slip and fall case to find out who all of the Defendants are.

Of course, a Chicago accident attorney cannot do that if you bring him or her your case near the time deadline.  They do not have enough time to investigate your case or even try to settle it for you without filing a law suit.

That's why I always tell people to get a free case review from an injury lawyer early on, because they are free and you are under no obligation to hire the lawyer.  But you do get free answers to your questions.

Other kinds of Injury Cases

Depending on where the accident happened, who is being sued, and what legal theories you will proceed under, your deadline might vary quite a bit.  So consider getting a free consultation with Chicago injury lawyer to know and protect your deadline(s).

How serious can this get?

Let me tell you a story that is a little troubling.

I got a phone call from a lady whose husband died. She is a really nice lady. It really bothered me that she lost her husband. They’ve got a kid at home so the child lost his father. 

She was taking advice from family and friends about not contacting a Chicago accident attorney.  We have discussed it a little bit here.

The deadline for your injury lawsuit depends on the kind of case, who you’re suing and a bunch of circumstances like that.

Her deadline got blown.

She didn’t consult with an attorney.  

She followed family advice and advice from her friends to not get an attorney involved. 

It is really unfortunate for her and her family.

If this lady I spoke with had spoken with even an inexpereinced lawyer, she would have known to do some things to protect her rights.  There are dozens of things to do and to not do if you or a loved one got hurt in an accident.  The most important one is knowing your case deadline.  

I really feel for her and I feel for her family. I really wish there was something I could do for her but these are hard deadlines.

Get Help And Answers For Free

I guess my point is, is you’re not going to be able to figure out these deadlines yourself. And you’re not going to be able to deal with the insurance companies and the lawyers they hire by yourself.  I guess you can, but it will result in a lower settlement or no settlement at all.  ANd you might miss your injury case deadline.

Any Chicago accident attorney like me offer a free consultation.   Honestly, it’s my preference that you contact me obviously because it’s how I make a living. But if you don’t like me or there’s somebody else you want to talk to, if you’ve been involved in an accident please speak with an attorney.

A free consultation means that the phone call is free and that the advice is free. A decent lawyer is going to be able to tell you whether you have a case or not. Also, most importantly they are going to tell you the steps you will have to take to protect your rights.

The last thing I’ll say is if it’s a big complicated case, don’t go to your family bankruptcy lawyer or your divorce lawyer. Make sure you get a referral to aChicago accident attorney who specializes in injury law.