Joliet Car Crash Injury Attorney

Lawyer for Vehicle Collisions in Plainfield, Naperville, and Will County

Motor vehicle collisions are often referred to as "car accidents," but in most cases, the word "accident" is incorrect. Collisions usually take place because one or more drivers acted negligently or recklessly. By establishing liability for a motor vehicle crash, victims can take legal action to pursue financial compensation for the injuries they sustained, the medical bills they have incurred, the wages they have lost, and other non-economic damages they have suffered. To be successful, it is crucial to work with a personal injury attorney who understands how the multi-billion-dollar insurance companies are evaluating your case and the tricks they use to destroy your chances of winning.

Attorney Michael J. Lichner believes in fighting for justice for those who have been injured by other people's actions or negligence. With more than a decade of legal experience, he has successfully recovered millions of dollars for his clients in personal injury verdicts and settlements. Our firm has the resources needed to fully investigate the circumstances of any collision, to locate, gather, and preserve the necessary evidence, and to prove liability.

Legal Help With All Types of Car Crashes

Injured individuals can take legal action against any person who was a cause of the crash. Even if a victim was partially at fault for a collision, they can still pursue compensation from the driver who was primarily responsible, as long the injured party's own fault was 50% or less. Injured people may also be able to hold other parties liable for a collision, such as a company that manufactured defective auto parts or a city or state government that was responsible for a dangerous road or intersection.

Michael Lichner has the knowledge and experience to handle nearly every type of car crash case, including those involving:

• Rear-end collisions - When one vehicle strikes another vehicle from behind, drivers and passengers may suffer injuries such as whiplash, brain injuries, or broken bones. In most cases, a driver who collides with another vehicle from the rear will be at fault for following too closely or failing to reduce their speed to avoid the collision.
• T-bone collisions - Crashes in which one vehicle strikes another vehicle from the side often occur because drivers run red lights or stop signs or make illegal turns. Drivers and passengers can be seriously hurt in these types of collisions. A person's arms or legs may be injured after becoming trapped between a vehicle's door or frame and seats or other parts of the vehicle, and these injuries may lead to amputations.
• Head-on collisions - These crashes can take place if a person drives on the wrong side of the road or in the wrong direction on a one-way street. The sudden change in velocity (know as the delta-V) that occurs in this type of impact most often causes serious, life-long, or life-ending injuries for a vehicle's occupants, which range from fractured bones to spinal cord injuries and traumatic brain injuries that can lead to permanent paralysis. A large percentage of these collisions result in one or more persons' wrongful death.
• Rollover crashes - Cars or trucks may turn over after colliding with other vehicles, hitting obstacles such as curbs or guardrails, driving off the edge of the road, or taking turns at high speeds. These crashes may occur because of driver negligence or because of defective auto parts such as brakes or tires. A vehicle's occupants can suffer serious injuries and even death when their vehicle's roof and structure collapses down onto the occupants.
  
• Vehicle ejections - Drivers or passengers may be thrown from a vehicle in a collision when it is extremely violent or because of defective seat belts or the failure of other auto safety systems. When an occupant is ejected from a vehicle, the likelihood that the occupant sustains catastrophic injuries or death increases exponentially.
• Distracted driving - Collisions often occur when drivers take their attention away from the road, which diminishes the time they have to react to the movements of other vehicles on the roadway. Common forms of distraction include talking on cell phones, texting while driving, conversations with passengers, eating and drinking, adjusting a radio, inputting information on a GPS navigation system, or adjusting the environmental controls within a vehicle. Distracted driving has become such a problem that the Illinois legislature has steadily increased the penalties for distracted drivers in recent years, which can now result in criminal prosecution and imprisonment (625 ILCS 5/12-610.2).
• Drunk driving - Alcohol and drugs impair driver's decision-making and their perception-reaction times, and this can make it impossible for a driver to safely operate a vehicle. In addition to holding the drunk driver liable for the collision, victims may also be able to pursue compensation from a bar, restaurant, or liquor store that provided the alcohol that caused a driver to become intoxicated.
• Uninsured or underinsured drivers - When a person causes a collision and does not have auto insurance, or if their insurance policy is minimal and does not fully cover the victim's damages, then the injured person or people may be able to receive uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage through their own insurance policy. Do not be fooled into thinking that your insurance company is on your side because you have known your insurance agent for decades or you have never made a claim! If you do not retain an experienced attorney, then you might never receive the full compensation you deserve.

Contact Our Bolingbrook Motor Vehicle Crash Attorney

No matter the circumstances of your car crash, Attorney Michael J. Lichner will properly evaluate your case. He will help you understand the compensation that you are entitled to and help you put the pieces back together. To learn how we can help with your case, contact us today at 815-730-1977 and set up a free consultation. You will not be required to pay any fees until we obtain a settlement or verdict for you. We prosecute car crash cases throughout Will County and the surrounding areas, including but not limited to Joliet, Plainfield, Naperville, Mokena, Bolingbrook, Lockport, Romeoville, Shorewood, Homer Glen, New Lenox, and Frankfort. We also proudly serve Cook County, DuPage County, and all surrounding northern Illinois counties.