Chicago Personal Injury Lawyers | Staver Accident Injury Lawyers | FREE Consult
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Reviews

5.0 out of 200+ Google Reviews.

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Results

Thousands of cases won.

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Awards

Award-winning service.

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Locations

7 locations throughout Chicago.

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Who We Are

When You’re Hurting, We Help.

We’ve seen it all, and tried it all. Our Chicago car accident lawyers and personal injury attorneys take on the tough cases – not just slam dunks. And you don’t have to have deep pockets to go to court and win. We work on a contingent fee basis and take on big, well-funded defendants who are used to getting whatever they want.

First, know that our Chicago injury attorneys are on your side.

We take care of you. You’ll get a free initial consultation with a personal injury lawyer near you to determine the scope of your case.

We arrange for your immediate needs...

and make sure you get the care and support you need. Our Chicago personal injury lawyers investigate, pull paperwork, retrieve records, and make filings while you concentrate on healing.

We’ll negotiate with the insurance adjusters...

and defense attorneys representing the person who caused you harm. You’ll always know when and where your case stands.

3500+
Clients Helped

Negligence is rarely intentional in personal injury cases. When things go sideways, it’s usually a failure to reasonably foresee the likelihood of injury. It’s not typically deliberate, but sometimes it is – most often when cost-cutting and profits take priority over safety. Both are all too frequent.

Meet Our Team of Attorneys

Founding Attorney Jared Staver

Jared Staver

Founding Attorney

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Attorney Tyler Kobylski

Tyler Kobylski

Attorney

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Attorney Patrick Gill

Patrick Gill

Attorney

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Attorney Paul Ciesielski

Paul Ciesielski

Attorney

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Attorney Melanie Buckmaster

Melanie Buckmaster

Attorney

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Attorneys Jared Staver and Tyler Kobylski named 2024 Super Lawyers

The Staver team is proud to announce Jared Staver and Tyler Kobylski’s selection as 2024 Super Lawyers. We’re honored these attorneys have been recognized by their peers for their achievements in personal injury representation.

Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers who have attained a high-degree of peer recognition and professional achievement.

Awards, ratings & accolades.

The acknowledgements our Chicago personal injury lawyers have earned are for the work we’ve done for over 3,500 clients. The BBB & top legal organizations throughout Illinois love us. Our clients love us. And we love you right back.

Awards Memberships
Jared Staver: Named 2024 SuperLawyer
Tyler Kobylski: Named 2024 SuperLawyer
Paul Ciesielski: Super Lawyers Rising Star
Patrick Gill: Super Lawyers Rising Star
Melanie Buckmaster: Super Lawyers Rising Star
Better Business Bureau A+ Rating
American Association of Personal Injury Attorneys
The AV Peer Rating
Top 100 Trial Lawyers of America
The National Academy of Personal Injury Attorneys
Multi-Million Dollar Advocates
National Association of Distinguished Counsel
Attorney & Practice Magazine's Top 10 Personal Injury Law Firm
The Chicago Bar Association
The Illinois State Bar Association
The American Bar Association
Brain Injury Association of America ‘Preferred Attorney’

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Every time I’ve called, I’ve been asked how I’m feeling and how my medical treatment is going first. I’ve had every question answered as thoroughly and completely as possible, never been put on hold for more than about a minute, and all calls and emails are returned within less than a day. . . . I’d recommend them 100%.”

Stephanie N.

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“…I'd recommend them 100%.”

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Personal Injury

What is Personal Injury?

If this is your first lap around the legal ‘neighborhood,’ you may not understand exactly what qualifies as a personal injury, or just how a personal injury lawsuit actually comes together. Answers here.

Hurt?
Call your doctor*
Hurt? Call your doctor first.

*If you call us, one of the first things we’ll ask is, ‘Did you go to the Doctor?’. A doctor signing off on an injury is one of the key pieces of information needed to start a personal injury case.

personal injury defined:

Personal injury is the legal term used to describe physical harm to your body caused by the careless actions or negligence of another. But it’s often more than just physical or emotional harm. Personal injury suits can include demands for medical costs, lost wages, transportation, and other expenses. Occasionally, it can include damage to property, but that’s often a separate suit.

Personal Injury Laws in Chicago, Illinois

There are many, and they are complicated. But that’s why we’re here.

Every state has its own personal injury laws. It would be impossible to cover every possibility, so Illinois uses a combination of statutes and case law for guidance. Most can be found in the Illinois Compiled Statutes and deal with vehicles, property, and civil procedure, which could also affect your personal injury case.

Personal Injury Laws
 
No. 001
What is Negligence?

“Whose fault is this?” The concept of negligence lies at the heart of nearly every personal injury lawsuit. It’s our job to identify where fault and responsibility land, and prove that someone else’s negligence is the reason for your injury.

By definition, negligence is the failure to fulfill a duty to someone else, and it’s the core cause of most personal injury accidents. It doesn’t have to mean someone intentionally caused you harm. But when someone fails to take reasonable steps to make sure their actions don’t endanger, injure or cause harm to someone else, that’s negligence.

Learn more about Negligence

No. 002
What is Liability?

Liability identifies the person or entity that’s legally responsible for your injuries. That’s not necessarily the same person whose actions caused the injuries. Other parties may be legally responsible for the negligence of someone else. We work diligently to ferret out legal responsibility and seek the greatest compensation possible for you.

In many situations, the person who acted negligently is not the person responsible for paying damages. Think of an employee in a company car who strikes a pedestrian while on the clock. The company holds legal responsibility, not the actual employee whose actions caused injury.

Learn more about Liability

No. 003
What Caused Your Injury?

A jury decides the core cause of an injury. In some cases, there may be more than one. If a driver runs a red light and causes an accident, but the other car was also speeding, both actions contribute to the core cause.

Learn more about Causation

No. 004
Parties in a Personal Injury Case

There are two basic categories of parties involved in personal injury cases:

Plaintiffs: These are the people who have been injured by the actions of others, and are pursuing compensation in court.

Defendants: People, companies or other organizations who allegedly caused the plaintiff’s injuries. There can definitely be more than one defendant.

Learn more about Parties

Personal Injury Process

What Should I Expect in My Personal Injury Case?

When you call Staver Accident Injury Lawyers, P.C., we will immediately set you on the path to recovering compensation for your injuries.

Attorney Jared Staver

Consult with a Chicago Injury Attorney

Step one is to speak with a personal injury lawyer near you who listens first and acts second. We’ll evaluate the facts of your case and your understanding of events – your side of the story. While you concentrate on healing, our injury attorneys dive in to create a comprehensive roadmap for your case and realistic expectations for settlement.

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If We Take Your Case, the Process May Look Something Like This:

1

Gather Evidence

Thorough investigation forms the foundation of every case. We’ll dig up police reports, medical records, and eyewitness accounts of your accident. Our injury lawyers apply maximum traction to our investigative processes, leaving no rock unrolled.

2

Send a Demand Letter

We’ll send a demand letter to the person responsible, and their insurance company or legal representatives. We take full consideration of your total financial burden (past and present), including provisions for future medical costs, wage losses, and other expenses.

3

File a Personal Injury Lawsuit

When an insurance company refuses to offer an acceptable settlement, we gain leverage by filing a lawsuit on your behalf. In addition, filing suit gains us access to additional information from the defendants that we otherwise wouldn’t see.

4

Discovery

Once the lawsuit is filed, we can request information from defendants that they may have been reluctant to provide us. We can send them Requests for Admissions, Interrogatories, and Requests for Production of Documents, all of which will allow us to see what evidence they have to support their claims.

5

Mediation

After both sides have had a look at the facts of the case, a mediation may be scheduled to see if an out-of-court settlement is possible. This allows us to present an oral argument to the defense, and negotiate back and forth with the insurance company until a fair settlement is reached.

6

Settlement

If we are able to reach an agreement before trial, we have a settlement. Settlements should consider all past and future expenses – medical costs, wage loss, pain and suffering and the like and will come in one lump sum in exchange for your dismissal.

7

Personal Injury Trial

If we aren’t able to negotiate a fair settlement, we go to trial. At trial, we’ll present your case, employing the evidence uncovered in the discovery phase and presenting any expert testimony. We often prefer juries to judges, because they’re usually more understanding of personal loss than a judge.

8

Appeal

What if the jury rules against you? If some kind of legal error was made by the defense or the court, we may choose to appeal. We will probably have to present additional evidence and legal arguments to the court to back up our thinking. If we’re successful, the court could reverse the previous order, or decide that another trial is necessary.

Personal Injury Claims process
Proof in a P.i. case

Proof in a Personal Injury Case

When anyone files a personal injury case in Illinois (or anywhere else), they must present facts and evidence enough to prove their case.

If your case involves more than one cause of action, each has to be presented separately. And the defendant can’t ignore the evidence. They are required to respond to each.

Proving Injury Claims
How much proof do you need?
Hurt? Call your doctor.

In Illinois, the standard of proof is a “preponderance of the evidence,” not “beyond all reasonable doubt,” as it is in criminal trials. That means that your proof must rise to the level of being more likely than that of the defense. A certain amount of speculation will always be expected.

$1,457,000

WOMAN INJURED IN T-BONE ACCIDENT

A 52-year-old woman and her pregnant 29-year-old daughter were on their way to a hospital for an ultrasound appointment. While on their way, a 19-year-old failed to stop at a stop sign and t-boned their car.

Read more results

Evidence in Personal Injury Cases

Direct, conclusive evidence isn’t always needed. Cases can be successfully argued on circumstantial evidence alone.

For example, circumstantial evidence can be enough to prove a car was speeding. Skid marks, scattered debris and eyewitness testimony can demonstrate a high rate of speed even without the benefit of police radar proof.

Types of accidents

Motor Vehicle Accidents

Though Staver Accident Injury Lawyers can help you with virtually any personal injury situation, we have especially broad experience with motor vehicle accidents.

Whether involving 2, 4, 6 or 18 wheels, we’ll be there for you.

Car Accident Overview

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Car Accidents in Chicago

Car crash cases require a lot of evidence gathering. Police reports, debris fields, and eyewitness accounts require a special set of investigative skills that we’ve honed for over 20 years. Our injury attorneys know all the insurance companies. And they know we mean business. We know you’re hurting. When you call, you’ll always speak with a Staver attorney near you, not an assistant. And there will never be a fee unless you win.

Learn more about car accidents

$950,000

FEMALE DRIVER STRUCK HEAD-ON

A 42-year-old female was returning home from work when she had a head-on collision when another driver attempted a left hand turn. The case was settled for $950,000.00 prior to litigation.

Truck Accident Overview

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Truck Accidents in Chicago

Illinois is loaded with 18-wheelers. This is a port city and big trucks are as common as potholes. But as almost everyone knows, if a car gets into an altercation with a semi, the car always loses. We can change that if you go to court with our personal injury lawyers.

Learn more about truck accidents

$890,000

Woman struck by commercial truck

A 49-year-old female was driving home when a large commercial truck struck the rear end of her vehicle. She required a lumbar fusion surgical procedure and received a settlement for $890,000.00.

In addition to car and truck accidents, we also take on a number of other motor vehicle accident cases. Including:

Other Cases we Handle

Common Defenses Used in Personal Injury Cases

When you bring a personal injury claim against someone, it’s quite likely they will defend themselves. And vigorously. They may claim they did not cause your injuries. They may claim you are at least partly to blame. They might accuse others or come up with another excuse for why they don’t owe you anything. We’ll help sort it all out and make sure those responsible are held accountable.

Learn more about common defenses

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