DUI Lawyers for Rockford and Surrounding Area

Much like any personal injury suit, we can handle initiating a claim, getting you through treatment, and then coming up with an appropriate demand on what the amount is that it will take to get you back to normal and compensate you for the variety of injuries and pain and suffering you had to endure due to the DUI related crash. However, should a settlement not be accepted by the insurance company Illinois allows a motion for a plaintiff to be able to ask for PUNITIVE damages. These are only allowed when someone’s behavior was intentional or extremely reckless.

For example, if someone drank 10 beers and got behind the wheel, this would likely give rise to a claim for punitive damages and should be zealously pursued by your lawyer as punitive damages can result in exceptionally large awards at trial. It is important of course to begin building your case from the very beginning. A competent injury lawyer may file an appearance as representing you as a victim in the Defendant’s criminal proceedings where certain discovery, reports, and expert opinions may become available which can aid your lawyer in building an injury case to maximize your financial recovery. This subject area is voluminous and we could easily spend an entire day talking about representing someone injured from a DUI-related crash.

You can always call or text message us 24/7/365 for a more thorough, in-depth analysis of your potential case at The Rockford Personal Injury Lawyers at (815) 964-8303.

If your injury was related to alcohol consumption and the DUI driver was being served alcohol at a bar immediately before the crash, Illinois has the Dram Shop Act found at (235 ILCS 5/6-21)(from Ch. 43, par. 135) which can make an establishment that serves alcohol responsible for injuries caused by one of their customers.

A plaintiff (injured party) only needs to show the following to win under the Dram Shop Act:

• That the establishment served alcohol to the Defendant
• That the alcohol served to the Defendant caused or materially contributed to the Defendant’s intoxication
• The intoxication was the proximate cause of the injury

The amount available on a claim under the Dram Shop Act adjusts every year, but it DOES offer an additional avenue of recovery for someone hurt due to the intoxication of another if they were served at an establishment prior to causing the injury. Whenever we consult with clients who have been injured in a DUI-related accident, we always consider whether they could also pursue a case against the Dram Shop Act.

Our purpose is to take charge over your financial recovery so that you can focus on your treatment and physical recovery. Illinois law allows an injured driver to possibly recover financial compensation based on the following types of damages:

• Pain and Suffering: An injured driver and/or his/her passenger can receive financial recovery for pain and suffering related to an injury as well as residual pain related to the injury and any surgeries or other treatment they may have to endure during the pendency of a treatment plan.
• Medical Expenses: All medical bills stemming from treatment related to the crash. This includes ongoing care, emergency room treatment, ambulance trips, doctor bills, hospital bills, surgical bills, rehabilitation center bills, physical therapy bills, assistive medical devices, nursing care, and any medications.
• Lost Income: You may recover lost wages if you are temporarily or permanently prevented from working in the same capacity you did prior to the crash. For example, if you are disabled and cannot return to a job where you previously were physically active such as a roofer, or other labor-intensive career and you were making $80,000 per year, and you are expected to work another 20 more years, your wage claim for lost wages would be 1.6 million dollars less any projected income you could earn doing a less physically taxing line of work (if possible).
• Disability: You may receive compensation for the things that you are unable to do that you enjoyed doing prior to your accident if your injuries prevent you from doing them again in the future. So someone that has an affinity for hunting or fishing where they are using their arms or legs in their hobby would have a claim to disability if they could not do those activities any longer. Likewise, if someone is a runner but has suffered a significant knee or leg injury they can make a claim for disability based on not being able to pursue that hobby any longer.
• Wrongful Death: The family of a person killed in a car crash or who later dies from injuries related to a car crash crash can pursue damages under the Illinois Wrongful Death Act. The act allows for recovery for financial and emotional support that the deceased provided to the survivors. (more on that under our section for Wrongful Death Cases).