Personal Injury Lawyer in Springfield, IL

Pursuing Fair Compensation for You and Your Family

Springfield is Illinois’ center of government and a city with a rich history that attracts thousands of visitors each year. The city supports a diverse mix of residents, businesses, and public institutions. With this level of activity comes a risk of unexpected accidents.

A serious injury can leave you facing immediate and long-term medical needs. You may need to take an extended leave from work to recover, which can put financial strain on you and your family. Our personal injury attorneys can help address these challenges.

Led by Managing Attorney Josh Rohrscheib, Onward Injury Law is committed to helping Springfield families after major accidents. Our personal injury lawyers are committed to securing compensation that reflects the real impact of your injuries. We’ll support you and your family now and in the long run. For a free consultation, contact our law firm today.

Do You Have a Valid Personal Injury Claim?

An injury doesn’t automatically mean you can seek compensation. You also need to show that another party acted negligently. To pursue personal injury compensation in Illinois, you need these four elements:

• Duty of Care: The at-fault party had a legal responsibility to act reasonably, such as driving safely or keeping their property in a safe condition.
• Breach of Duty: That responsibility was not met. For example, someone could be driving carelessly, ignoring safety regulations, or refusing to fix a known falling hazard.
• Causation: The breach of duty directly caused the injury. That means the harm wouldn’t have happened if a person had shown some reasonable care.
• Damages: The injury resulted in measurable losses, such as medical bills, lost income, and other kinds of financial harm.

Negligent parties often deny responsibility, and insurers may attempt to shift blame onto you. At Onward Injury Law, we’re familiar with these tactics. We take an evidence-based approach to establishing negligence and pursuing compensation that reflects the true impact of your injuries.

Personal Injury Cases We Can Handle

Personal injury cases arise in many different circumstances. Our Springfield personal injury attorneys handle a wide range of serious injury claims. We help clients who’ve been involved in the following types of cases:

• Motor Vehicle and Transportation Accidents: Car, truck, motorcycle, bicycle, pedestrian, bus, train, and boat accidents.
• Premises Liability and Unsafe Property Claims: Slip and fall accidents, dog bites, and injuries caused by hazardous or poorly maintained property.
• Construction, Farm, and Public Worksite Injuries: Accidents involving construction zones, farms and agricultural operations, rural property hazards, or public works areas.
• Medical Negligence and Nursing Home Abuse: Injuries caused by medical errors or failures to provide appropriate care in clinics, hospitals, or long-term care settings.
• Child Injury Cases: Injuries resulting from unsafe environments or inadequate supervision.
• Catastrophic Injury and Wrongful Death Claims: Life-altering injuries and fatal accidents caused by negligence.

No matter the type of accident, we can help. Our lawyers carefully investigate your case and work to hold all negligent parties accountable.

Steps to Take After an Accident or Injury

While no two accidents are identical, certain steps apply in most situations. Taking the following actions can help protect both your health and your right to pursue personal injury compensation:

Seek Medical Attention

If you did not receive emergency treatment at the time of the accident, consider seeing a doctor as soon as possible. Some injuries, including head injuries and internal trauma, may not be immediately apparent and can worsen without proper medical care.

Report the Incident

Accidents involving injuries or property damage should be reported to the appropriate authorities. This may include law enforcement, a property owner, or a business manager. Official reports can help document what happened and when.

Preserve Evidence

If you can, take photographs of the scene, gather contact information from witnesses, and make copies of any incident reports or messages.

Be Careful With Insurance Companies

Insurance companies may contact you shortly after an accident and seek statements or early settlements. These offers usually don’t reflect the full extent of your losses. Avoid detailed discussions until you understand your legal options.

Contact a Personal Injury Law Firm

Personal injury claims in Springfield are subject to strict deadlines. The sooner you speak with an attorney, the better. Once you contact Onward Injury Law, our team can begin gathering key evidence and taking steps to ensure your claim is handled within the required time limits.

Common Causes of Serious Injuries

Personal injury cases in Illinois can arise in many different situations. At Onward Injury Law, some of the most common cases we handle involve:

Motor Vehicle Accidents

Actions such as speeding, distracted driving, failure to follow traffic signals, or drunk driving can lead to serious collisions involving drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists.

Poor Conditions at a Property

Injuries frequently occur when property hazards are left unaddressed. This includes wet floors, uneven surfaces, inadequate lighting, or icy walkways.

Risks in Construction Zones and Public Work Areas

Areas undergoing construction or repairs may pose dangers to the public if proper safety measures are not in place. Unsecured materials, poor signage, or unsafe access routes can result in serious injuries to bystanders.

Inadequate Supervision or Care

Some personal injury cases arise from failures to properly supervise, care for, or treat people who rely on others for their safety and well-being. This can include poor supervision of children, inadequate care of the elderly, or medical negligence involving misdiagnosis, medication errors, or lack of monitoring.

Dangerous or Defective Products

Injuries can also occur when consumer products or equipment fail to perform safely. Defects in design, manufacturing, or labeling may expose users to unreasonable risks of harm.

Determining the underlying cause of an injury is an essential part of serious injury cases. Our personal injury lawyers can investigate what happened in detail, work with accident reconstruction experts, and identify how and why the accident occurred.

Common Injuries in Personal Injury Claims

Personal injury claims can involve many different types of injuries. Some heal quickly, while others require extended recovery and rehabilitation. In more serious cases, injuries can be life-changing.

Identifying the nature and severity of an injury is an important part of pursuing fair compensation. Some of the most common injuries we handle at Onward Injury Law include:

• Head and Brain Injuries: Ranging from concussions to more severe trauma that can affect cognitive function, balance, mood, and mental health.
• Neck, Back, and Spinal injuries: Conditions such as slipped discs or nerve damage that may lead to long-term pain or limited mobility.
• Broken Bones: Fractures involving the arms, legs, ribs, hips, or other bones that often require immobilization or surgery.
• Muscle and Connective Tissue Injuries: Damage to muscles, tendons, or ligaments that can restrict movement or cause lingering aches and pains.
• Burn-Related Injuries: Injuries caused by heat, chemicals, or electricity that may lead to scarring or sensitivity.
• Internal Trauma: Injuries to organs or internal systems that may not be immediately obvious after an accident.
• Emotional and Psychological Harm: Mental health effects that may develop following a traumatic event, including anxiety or sleep disruption.

Serious injuries can affect you and your entire family. Our personal injury lawyers understand this and work to pursue compensation for immediate and long-term needs.

Liability in Illinois Personal Injury Claims

Identifying who is responsible for your injuries is an important part of pursuing fair compensation. In some situations, responsibility is clear. In others, determining liability requires a closer look at the facts. In certain cases, more than one party may share legal responsibility and can be held accountable.

Some of the most common liable parties include:

Careless or Reckless Drivers

When a crash is caused by unsafe driving (such as speeding, distraction, impaired driving, or ignoring traffic laws), the driver responsible for those actions may be held liable for your injuries. This includes both individual motorists and commercial drivers.

Property Owners and Property Managers

Those who own or control property are expected to keep their premises reasonably safe for visitors. When dangerous conditions are left uncorrected and someone is injured, the property owner or management company can be held liable.

Businesses Serving the Public

Businesses can be responsible for injuries suffered by customers or guests when unsafe conditions, lack of maintenance, or preventable hazards exist in areas open to the public.

Contractors and Outside Parties

Some injuries are caused by the actions of contractors or other third parties whose work creates unsafe conditions. This may include hazards related to construction projects, maintenance work, or shared public spaces.

Medical Providers and Care Facilities

Doctors, surgeons, hospitals, nursing homes, and assisted living facilities may be held accountable when injuries result from negligent medical treatment, inadequate supervision, or failures to meet accepted standards of care.

Companies Involved in Product Distribution

Injuries linked to unsafe or defective products may involve responsibility beyond a single manufacturer. Liability can extend to distributors, suppliers, or retailers involved in placing a dangerous product into circulation.

Situations Involving Multiple Parties

Illinois personal laws recognize that more than one party may contribute to an accident. When that occurs, responsibility may be shared based on each party’s role in causing the injury.

Key Laws That May Impact Your Springfield Personal Injury Claim

When you work with Onward Injury Law, our personal injury attorneys handle the legal aspects of your case from start to finish. Even so, having a basic understanding of the laws that may affect your claim can be helpful.

Some important points to consider include:

• Statute of Limitations for Illinois Personal Injury Claims: Most personal injury claims in Illinois must be filed within two years of the date of the injury. Failing to act within this deadline can prevent you from pursuing compensation.
• Claims Involving Government Entities: Injuries involving state or local government bodies may be subject to shorter deadlines and additional notice requirements, making early legal guidance especially important.
• Comparative Fault: Illinois follows a modified comparative fault rule. If you are found to be more than 50% responsible for an accident, you may not recover compensation. If your share of fault is 50% or less, any compensation awarded may be reduced accordingly.

We can help you understand how these laws apply to your situation and guide you on the most appropriate next steps.

How Compensation Helps Accident Survivors

Personal injury compensation can address both economic and non-economic damages. It’s intended to reflect the full financial and personal impact of an injury.

Specific damages may be awarded for:

Medical Bills

Compensation may account for the cost of emergency treatment, hospital care, surgery, medication, rehabilitation, and follow-up medical appointments related to an injury.

Future Medical Needs

In cases involving ongoing or long-term treatment, compensation may consider anticipated future healthcare costs, physical therapy, or other medical services.

Lost Income

If an injury prevents you from working while you recover, compensation may include wages lost during that time.

Reduced Earning Capacity

When an injury affects your ability to return to work or limits future earning potential, compensation may reflect those long-term financial impacts.

Pain and Suffering

Compensation may also address physical pain and the broader effects an injury has on daily life and well-being.

Loss of Enjoyment of Life

Serious injuries can limit independence or prevent participation in activities you once enjoyed. These losses may also be considered when evaluating compensation.

Contact Our Personal Injury Attorneys in Springfield, IL

Onward Injury Law has a strong reputation in Springfield and throughout Illinois. Led by Managing Attorney Josh Rohrscheib, our team has helped families in serious personal injury cases for many years. We take an evidence-based approach to every case, and provide the same attention to you that we would expect for our own family.

For a risk-free case review from Springfield personal injury lawyers who care about you, contact our law firm today.