Will County Personal Injury Case Checklist

Lawyer Helping Injury Victims Gather Evidence and Pursue Financial Compensation in Naperville, Plainfield, and Joliet

If you have suffered a personal injury, you may be able to pursue compensation from the person or parties who were responsible. These types of cases can be very complicated, and there will be a wide variety of different types of evidence, records, and other information that will need to be gathered. By understanding what information will be helpful in your case, you can work with an attorney to obtain the evidence that will demonstrate liability for your injury and ensure that you will be fully compensated for your damages.

Michael J. Lichner is a highly skilled and experienced personal injury lawyer, and for more than a decade, he has provided representation for injured people and helped them recover millions of dollars in compensation. During your case, he will help you understand your rights and the steps you can take to prove liability and demonstrate the ways your injury has affected you and your family. He will work with you to gather all of the evidence needed to ensure that you can achieve success in your case.

Information Relevant to Your Personal Injury Case

You may be able to obtain or provide some records or other information regarding your injury, but in many cases, the assistance of a legal professional is necessary to gather certain types of evidence. Your case may involve some or all of the following types of information:

• Medical records - It is important to receive medical treatment as soon as possible following an injury. Even if your injuries seem minor, you will want to receive a formal diagnosis from a medical professional to establish how you have been injured, the nature and extent of your injuries, to explain what treatment you will need, and to prescribe you that treatment or refer you to other medical specialists like surgeons. Medical records will also show that you have taken the proper steps to address your health concerns and are following doctors' recommendations.
• Police reports - Following a car crash or other situations where emergency personnel were called to the scene of an injury, police officers will file reports that can be used to identify the person or parties who were responsible. In addition to obtaining copies of these reports, we can also obtain recordings of 911 calls and other information about how police, emergency medical technicians, or firefighters responded to your injury.
• Photos and video - In many cases, photographs of the scene of an injury can provide invaluable information about the causes of the injury and the ways an injured person was affected. Because nearly everyone now owns a cell phone with a camera, juries are increasingly expecting to see pictures and video from the scene of the incident. If it is possible and safe to do so, it is best if you or a friend or family member can take pictures of the vehicles involved in a collision, the conditions on a road, or the location where an injury occurred. If you have sustained very serious injuries and had undergone one or more surgeries, it is important to visually document that process and how your body looks before and after. In addition to photos, we routinely obtain footage from indoor or outdoor security cameras, traffic cameras, or videos taken by witnesses.
• Witness testimony - Statements from people who observed an injury can provide helpful information. We can contact witnesses and obtain testimony while their memories are still fresh.
• Wage information - Your pay stubs or tax returns can establish the level of income you earned before your injury, as well as any reduction in what you were able to earn while you were recovering or because of a disability.
• Bills and financial information - In addition to medical bills, you can provide documentation of the costs and expenses that you have been required to pay due to your injury. These may include the costs of repairing or replacing a damaged vehicle, transportation costs related to your medical treatment, or childcare expenses.
• Journals and personal statements - You and your family members can maintain an ongoing record of how you have been affected by your injury. By keeping a journal, you can detail the difficulties you have experienced and the steps you are taking during your recovery. Statements from your family members can also show your level of pain and suffering and describe how your injury has affected your overall well-being.

Contact Our New Lenox Personal Injury Attorney

Will County and DuPage County personal injury lawyer Michael J. Lichner can help you understand the types of evidence that will be needed in your case, and he will work with you to gather the necessary information. To set up a free consultation, contact our office at 815-730-1977. We prosecute multiple types of personal injury cases in the Will County area, including but not limited to Bolingbrook, New Lenox, Mokena, Plainfield, Romeoville, Frankfort, Lockport, Joliet, Homer Glen, Naperville, and Shorewood. We also proudly provide legal help to injured people throughout Northern Illinois, including Cook County, DuPage County, and other nearby counties.