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Every case is different. So whether you should hire a lawyer depends on the facts of your particular case and the severity of your injuries. But just because you don’t hire a lawyer doesn’t mean you shouldn’t seek legal advice. It is ALWAYS important to consult with an experienced injury attorney as soon as possible after the accident for several reasons.

Some police departments conduct good investigations some do not. Depending upon the seriousness of the injuries, the police may conduct an accident reconstruction.  Whether or not the reconstruction takes place can vary significantly from one police department to another. Some police departments do not have officers trained in accident reconstruction.

Only a lawyer with experience handling Illinois car accident cases can determine  whether it makes sense in your case to have a private reconstruction performed. Most cars manufactured these days have black boxes that record and store information leading up to a crash. These devices can record the speed of the vehicle, acceleration, deceleration and braking time.  This information can be invaluable in determining liability.  It is often vital to obtain this information before the vehicles involved in the accident are repaired or destroyed.

It is also important to decide whether other forms of investigation are needed such as interviewing and finding additional witnesses. Depending on the circumstances of the case, the lawyer should visit the scene to determine if there are other factors such as road conditions, obstructed traffic signs or traffic signal malfunctions that contributed to the accident. If the injuries are minor and the liability is very clearly established by the police report, you may not need to hire an attorney.

We can usually determine in a short free consultation whether you need to hire an attorney immediately, whether you can wait and see before you hire an attorney, or whether you don’t need an attorney at all. We can also provide you with a free guide book:  Illinois Injury Law A Reference Guide for Accident Victims, to help you with your decision and to help you better understand your rights.

Determining whether or not you should hire an attorney if you have been involved in a car accident in Illinois involves many factors and can be a complicated process to figure out.  For a free consultation with an attorney who has more than 30 years of experience handling motor vehicle accidents in the greater Chicago area, contact the Klest Injury Law Firm.