What Is the Role of Insurance in Personal Injury Cases in Illinois?

Illinois law holds those who injure others financially responsible for the consequences of those injuries. Often, these costs are covered by an insurance policy the at-fault party has purchased to protect themselves from being personally liable for expenses like medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Regardless of whether your injury resulted from a motor vehicle accident, slip and fall, or dog bite, insurance can provide the compensation you need and deserve. However, getting an insurance company to part with its profits can be easier said than done.

Types of Insurance That May Apply to Your Personal Injury Case

Different types of insurance policies cover different types of personal injury accidents. The big three insurance categories for injuries in Illinois are auto insurance, homeowners and renters insurance, and general liability insurance.

Auto Insurance

If someone else hits you with their vehicle, the compensation you can receive comes from their liability coverage. In Illinois, all drivers must have at least the following minimum liability coverage:

• $25,000 per person for bodily injury
• $50,000 per accident for bodily injury
• $20,000 per accident for property damage

Unfortunately, these limits may not be sufficient to cover your expenses under certain circumstances, such as when your injuries are severe, or other accident victims are also seeking compensation from the same pot of money. If you have optional underinsured motorist coverage on your policy, this coverage may come into play under these circumstances. Furthermore, in cases where the at-fault driver doesn’t have liability insurance, or if the driver who hit you fled the scene and cannot be found, you can file an uninsured motorist claim with your insurance provider. Unlike underinsured motorist coverage, this coverage is mandatory in Illinois, so you should have it on your policy.

Homeowners and Renters Insurance

When you suffer an injury on someone else’s property, their homeowners or renters insurance will likely cover your damages. These insurance policies typically have medical expense and comprehensive personal liability coverage that protects the homeowner if a hazard on their property harms someone.

While homeowners and renters insurance doesn’t cover vehicles like cars or boats, it typically covers injuries caused by other property, such as pets. If someone’s dog bites or attacks you, their homeowners or renters insurance will usually cover it. This means that if a friend’s or family member’s dog harms you, you can still seek the compensation you need without them being personally liable for paying your bills.

General Liability Insurance

Also known as business insurance, general liability insurance covers injuries customers suffer on a business’s property. If you slip and fall in a puddle in a store or on uncleared snow and ice in a store’s parking lot, or if merchandise falls on you, the business’s general liability insurance will typically cover your damages.

Why Insurance Is Important in Personal Injury Cases

Insurance is important in personal injury cases in part because it can make it easier for victims to recover the compensation they need and deserve. Serious injuries have expensive consequences, and not everyone has the assets to pay for them out of pocket. At least in theory, insurance exists to cover these costs, so that accident victims get the compensation they need for their medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering, and at-fault parties aren’t financially ruined as a result.

Of course, insurance companies are also businesses–ones that protect their profit margins by denying claims and reducing payouts. That’s why getting help from an experienced personal injury lawyer is still essential. With the right legal representation, you are better positioned to get the full value of your claim, and to recover that money in a more timely manner than you would on your own.

What if the At-Fault Party Doesn’t Have Insurance?

So, what can you do to recover fair compensation if the party at fault for your injuries doesn’t have insurance, or if their insurance policy limits will not cover the full value of your claim? Get help from an experienced attorney. They can investigate the incident to determine if other people could also be liable and owe you money. Alternatively, they can pursue a lawsuit against the at-fault party directly and go after their assets.

Contact Our Illinois Personal Injury Lawyers

If you suffered an injury for which someone else is to blame, contact The Law Offices of Goldfine & Bowles, P.C., for a free initial consultation with one of our experienced Illinois personal injury lawyers. Our firm has been supporting injured Illinois since 1962, and we’ve recovered over $100 million for our clients in the past ten years alone. Come visit us and see why our firm consistently gets five-star reviews from our clients.