Cook County Personal Injury Attorney
Every Cook County personal injury attorney at Shea Law has the expertise and compassion to fight for your rights!
Cook County Personal Injury Attorney Terms
• Strict liability - To sue a defendant for personal injury under strict liability, a Cook County personal injury attorney does not need to prove that the defendant (the person or institution being sued) was negligent; the responsibility rests entirely with the defendant.• Negligence - Negligence is the basis for personal injury lawsuits. It means that due to a defendant’s carelessness, the plaintiff (the person who was allegedly harmed) was injured or killed. To prove this in court, the plaintiff must prove that the defendant (the person who allegedly caused the injury) had the responsibility to protect his or her safety. i.e. if a homeowner fails to follow regulations about building a fence around a pool area to keep children out, he is responsible if a child dies by drowning in the pool.
• Contributory negligence - This term means that the defendant may claim that the accident was due to the fault of the plaintiff. This would clear the defendant from any charges of negligence, effectively closing the case.
• Comparative negligence - This is similar to contributory negligence except that both parties are liable for the injury. A judge or a jury will determine who is more at fault, based on percentages. If a plaintiff seeks $1 million in damages to cover the cost of medical bills and personal suffering, and the judge or jury determines that the accident was partially caused by carelessness, the defendant may receive only $500-$750 thousand.
