Personal injury law firms in the Chicago area should not charge a fee to speak with you about your case. This means that if you were hurt in an accident and it was someone else’s fault (or mostly someone else’s fault), there should be no hesitation about speaking to a lawyer. You might not even be sure whose fault the accident was, but do not worry, it’s still a good idea to discuss the facts confidentially with an attorney. A free consultation is typical for people who have been hurt in an accident and aren’t sure what to do next. It is best to get help as early on as possible before you talk to the insurance company, even if you are not looking to hire anyone right away.
At least it is not going to cost you anything to call a personal injury lawyer. But wait, you might not be sure if you are ready to talk to a lawyer. Understandable. Many people feel intimidated by going to speak to a lawyer for the first time, especially one that they don’t know. It does not have to be the beginning of anything that you do not want. As with anything in life that can have serious consequences, financial or otherwise, it is good to be prepared. Ask questions to find out what you may be up against. A good lawyer will listen and help you make the best decision given your set of circumstances and goals for resolving the matter.
What to expect when you call for a free consultation from a personal injury lawyer
We can’t speak as to what goes on at other law firms, but I can say this: not all free consultations are equal. Some will be nothing more than a sales pitch with high pressure to hire even if you are just trying to get information. Others will have a consultation done by a paralegal who may be qualified to gather your information but cannot give legal advice or answer your questions the way that you deserve to have them answered. (And aren’t you really there to get legal advice?) Neither of those scenarios happen at our law firm, by the way.
While you likely will not have to pay to talk to a lawyer at most injury law firms, you still want to make sure that you feel comfortable about what will happen before you go in to talk to a lawyer. At O’Connor Cadiz law, our attorney will likely schedule a time to talk by phone first, to make sure that we are a good fit for one another, before scheduling a more in depth strategy session. Our goal during the strategy session is to be helpful and answer your questions. No high pressure tactics here.
If you are not ready to speak to go speak to a lawyer yet, on this site you can:
- fill out our web form to request free information
- sign up for our free quarterly mailed newsletter and get to know us better.
- Keep your eye on this site for more information about your situation
After my consultation, how long do I have to hire an injury lawyer?
There are strict time limits in the State of Illinois (& in other states too) about how long you have to take action or lose your rights forever. The length of time you have to file a lawsuit is the Statute of Limitations. In many instances you have only two years from the date of the accident. That is not always true, time frames are drastically shorter in some instances, for instance, when dealing with CTA accidents or other government entities.
Regardless of how long the law allows for you to sue, you should not wait to speak to a lawyer for the following reasons:
- Filing a lawsuit is not the first thing that should happen. Time is needed to gather evidence; talk to witnesses; order medical records and other documents, create and discuss a strategy, attempt negotiations with the insurance company for the responsible party, and then, consider filing a lawsuit if it still makes sense to do so.
- Don’t be like so many others who ‘blow it’ on the phone, caught off guard by an insurance adjuster who lays down the rules and backs you into a corner before you know what has happened.
- You may end up speaking to a few law firms before you find one that you feel comfortable working with.
- You want to leave adequate time for your lawyer to negotiate with the insurance company.
- Many lawyers will not take your case if you wait too long.
- You’ll sleep better if you know what you are up against and what you need to do. We can give you answers.
If you would like to schedule an appointment, call us at 630 250-8813 or fill out a contact form on this site to start the conversation.