Rockford auto accident 101: Does hiring an injury lawyer really matter?

Auto accidents in Illinois often result in upsetting outcomes. In fact, more than 1,000 fatal accidents were reported in the state in 2022 alone. After getting injured in such a mishap in Rockford, you may want to know whether you have a valid injury claim. That’s one of the first steps to take after you have informed your insurance company and have received medical care for your injuries. So, does hiring a personal injury lawyer in Rockford, IL, really matter? We take a look at the critical aspects below.
Determining fault is not always simple
A car accident is drastically different than that of a commercial truck accident. Let’s understand how – In a car accident, typically, the driver(s) are at fault, but truck accidents may involve many parties, including the loading service, the trucker, or even the trucking company. Also, if two passenger cars are involved in an auto accident and both drivers are at fault, then the eventual settlement for each party will depend on their fault share. In Illinois, you can only file an auto accident lawsuit if your fault share is 50% or less.
Because of these reasons, finding fault and determining the party responsible for your losses can be hard. Injury lawyers have the expertise and experience to investigate and gather details, and in some cases, they even collaborate and work with accident reconstruction services.
The insurance adjuster wouldn’t help you
That’s another thing that people often take for granted. For any insurance company, claims are direct losses, and it would try hard to deny them. The insurance adjuster may trick you into saying something that you don’t understand or may deny your claim stating the accident was your fault. It would help if you had an injury lawyer who can negotiate and deal with the adjuster on your behalf.
No win, no fee
You don’t have to pay the attorney if you do not win a financial settlement, which is also a big bonus. This is called a contingency arrangement, which is the norm for most auto accident and personal injury cases. Your lawyer will ensure that all the issues are resolved, and if the monetary judgments cannot be enforced, they will also help with that.
Hiring an attorney is your choice, but if the auto accident involved more than two vehicles or when you are partly at fault, it is best to get an expert to fight for your rights.