Quad Cities Car Accident Lawyer

Car accidents are unfortunately common in the Quad Cities area, contributing to severe injuries, fatalities, and millions of dollars in property damage each year. You can be in a car crash even if you are a careful driver — the negligent actions of another driver are all it takes for a collision to occur.

After a car accident, you may be eligible to collect compensation for your physical, financial, and emotional losses through a personal injury lawsuit or insurance claim. However, navigating these processes in the wake of an injury can be difficult alone.

Trust Duncan Law Group to help you with your car accident claim. With over 15 years of personal injury law experience and several multi-million-dollar verdicts on our record, you can trust our car accident attorneys to advocate aggressively for your best interests.

Why Choose Us For Quad Cities Car Accident Claims?

Our attorneys have significant experience in personal injury law, including car accident claims. We know how to handle insurance adjusters at the negotiating table and how to craft a compelling case for the courtroom.
Our firm values transparency and regular communication. We will always inform you of any important updates in your case and advise you on how to best prepare for each step.
Legal fees can be expensive, which is why we operate on a contingency fee basis. We will not charge you any upfront costs, and you only need to pay for our services if we secure a settlement on your behalf.

Illinois and Iowa Insurance Requirements

Both Illinois and Iowa follow traditional fault-based systems when it comes to car accidents. This means that the driver responsible for an accident must pay for the damages the victims of that accident suffer.

In Illinois, all drivers must carry the following minimum amounts of car insurance to uphold this financial responsibility. Failure to carry the mandatory insurance may result in a $500 fine. These minimums are:

$20,000 in property damage liability
$25,000 in bodily injury liability per person per accident
$50,000 in total bodily injury liability per accident

Iowa, on the other hand, does not explicitly require drivers to carry minimum amounts of car accidents. However, under the Iowa Motor Vehicle Financial and Safety Responsibility Act, any driver in a car accident must be able to show financial responsibility for the resulting damages. Failure to comply may result in a suspended driver’s license or registration.

You can demonstrate this financial responsibility in a number of ways. However, the easiest method is to purchase the following minimums of liability insurance coverage:

$15,000 in property damage liability
$20,000 in bodily injury liability per person per accident
$40,000 in total bodily injury liability per accident

In both states, you can purchase more than the minimum amounts of coverage if you wish. You can also purchase additional coverage to pay for your losses if the at-fault driver in your accident does not have sufficient insurance.

Your Legal Options After a Quad Cities Car Accident

Under these fault-based systems, you have three main options for compensation after a car accident. You can file a claim with the at-fault party’s insurance company, or your own policy if you have the appropriate coverage. You can also file a personal injury lawsuit in civil court.

In most car accident cases, you will begin by filing an insurance claim. Your attorney will help you calculate the amount of compensation you will need to recover from your damages. Since it is not in the insurance company’s best interest to pay the maximum possible settlement, you may need to enter negotiations with the company to raise their offers.

If the insurance company denies your claim or does not offer you an adequate settlement amount, your case will move into the personal injury lawsuit process. You may continue to engage in negotiations before the trial begins, and most personal injury cases settle outside of the courtroom.

If the insurance company still refuses to provide you with an acceptable settlement, your case will proceed to the courtroom. A judge and jury will hear your case and the at-fault party’s arguments, and decide whether or not you should receive a settlement and how much that settlement will be.

In some cases, it may be necessary to proceed to the courtroom directly, especially if you have high amounts of damages that exceed the limits of the at-fault party’s insurance policy. Speak to an attorney at Duncan Law Group to determine which pathway is right for you.

What to Do After a Quad Cities Car Accident

The moments after a car accident are crucial to your future insurance claim or lawsuit — this is when the evidence is freshest and when most witnesses are still in the area. If you can move around the accident scene without further injury or danger, take the following steps to preserve as much evidence as possible.

Call 911 and bring the police and emergency medical services to the accident site. Contacting law enforcement is important for two reasons: first, Illinois and Iowa laws may require you to report your accident, and second, the police officer will create an accident report that will serve as a crucial piece of evidence in your case. Ask for the officer’s name and badge number so you can find the report later.
Document the scene. Take pictures of the damage on both vehicles, your injuries, and the area around the accident. If there are any signs or traffic signals, make sure to capture them as well.
Collect the contact information of the drivers involved in the accident and any witnesses in the area. Ask the at-fault driver for his or her license and insurance information as well.
Seek medical attention as soon as possible and do not make any statements about your injuries. You may not feel pain at that moment, but you may have injuries you are not aware of yet. Visiting the hospital will help you receive the care you need and begin receiving valuable medical records to aid in your future claim. Save every document you receive during your visits.
An insurance adjuster may contact you for a statement or with a settlement offer. Do not speak to an insurance adjuster until you speak with your lawyer. Accepting an early payment or giving a statement without knowing the full extent of your injuries can harm your recovery.
Contact a car accident attorney as soon as possible. Your attorney will guide you through the claims process so you can focus on your recovery, not paperwork.

Contact Duncan Law Group Today for Quad Cities Car Accidents

If you were in a recent car accident in the Quad Cities area and need help filing your lawsuit or insurance claim, speak to an attorney at Duncan Law Group today. Our firm has over 15 years of experience helping clients with their car accident claims, and we have refined the skills, gathered the resources, and made the connections necessary to build a compelling case in your favor.