Troy Personal Injury Lawyer

TorHoerman Law has represented injured people and families for decades, including clients throughout Madison County, Southern Illinois, and the Metro East.

Our single-event personal injury practice is led by Eric Terry, who has more than two decades of legal experience handling motor vehicle accidents, trucking cases, catastrophic injuries, wrongful death claims, defective products, and other negligence cases.

Our law firm has helped secure more than $4.5 billion in verdicts and negotiated settlements nationwide, including significant results in personal injury cases.

Personal injury cases can require different investigative strategies depending on how the injury occurred.

An accident investigation may involve gathering evidence, obtaining police or incident reports, collecting medical records, interviewing witnesses, reviewing insurance coverage, and consulting experts when additional analysis is needed.

Our attorneys draw on experience across multiple personal injury practice areas rather than treating every case as though it involves the same legal and factual issues.

Reasons Troy clients choose TorHoerman Law include:

• Deep roots in Southern Illinois: Our nearby Edwardsville office gives Troy clients access to attorneys who regularly handle cases throughout Madison County and the surrounding region.
• Experienced personal injury leadership: Eric Terry leads our single-event personal injury practice and has handled serious motor vehicle, trucking, catastrophic injury, wrongful death, and other negligence cases.
• Experience with different types of injury claims: Our attorneys understand that a car accident, dangerous property claim, defective product case, and medical negligence claim can involve very different laws, evidence, defendants, and expert testimony.
• Detailed accident investigations: We gather police and incident reports, medical records, photographs, video, witness statements, insurance documents, and other evidence needed to determine how an injury occurred and who may be responsible.
• Local court familiarity: Our attorneys practice in Illinois and have experience with litigation in Southern Illinois, including the procedures and court systems that may affect Madison County personal injury cases.
• A record of significant results: TorHoerman Law has secured substantial settlements and verdicts for injured clients, including motor vehicle, catastrophic injury, defective product, and wrongful death cases. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
• Access to expert resources: When appropriate, we can work with medical experts, accident reconstruction specialists, economists, engineers, and other professionals whose analysis may support liability or damages.
• Personal attention and communication: We keep clients informed as their cases develop and explain important decisions, deadlines, settlement offers, and litigation developments throughout the process.
• Contingency fee representation: We handle qualifying personal injury cases without upfront attorney fees, subject to the written fee agreement.
• Free consultations: Injured people and families can speak with our legal team about what happened and learn what legal options may be available before deciding whether to move forward.

When choosing a personal injury attorney, experience with the type of claim and familiarity with the courts where the case may be litigated are important considerations.

TorHoerman Law combines local Southern Illinois experience with the resources to investigate serious injury claims and prepare them for settlement or trial.

What Types Of Troy Personal Injury Claims Can TorHoerman Law Help Me With?

TorHoerman Law provides personal injury representation for people harmed by negligence, unsafe conditions, defective products, medical errors, and other wrongful conduct.

Some of the most common types of personal injury cases involve motor vehicle accidents, premises liability, serious injuries, medical malpractice, and wrongful death.

The laws, evidence, defendants, and insurance issues can vary significantly depending on how the injury occurred, so each claim requires an individual review under Illinois personal injury law.

Our attorneys handle claims related to:

• Car accidents: Claims involving rear-end collisions, intersection crashes, distracted driving, impaired driving, speeding, and other forms of driver negligence.
• Truck accidents: Commercial truck crashes can involve severe injuries, substantial damages, multiple defendants, and federal safety requirements. The growing presence of commercial trucks on Illinois roads also means these collisions remain an important source of serious motor vehicle claims.
• Motorcycle, bicycle, and pedestrian accidents: Motor vehicle accidents can involve cars, trucks, motorcycles, bicyclists, and pedestrians. Bicycle and pedestrian cases may require detailed investigation of visibility, traffic conditions, right-of-way rules, and how the collision occurred.
• Premises liability claims: Property owners and businesses may face claims when unsafe conditions cause injuries, including slip-and-fall accidents, poorly maintained walkways, inadequate lighting, or other dangerous property conditions.
• Dog bites and animal attacks: Illinois law may provide a claim when a dog or other animal injures a person under qualifying circumstances.
• Medical malpractice: Claims may arise from surgical errors, delayed diagnoses, medication mistakes, birth injuries, or other negligent medical treatment by healthcare providers.
• Workplace and third-party injury claims: Some work-related injuries may involve workers’ compensation benefits, while others may support separate claims against contractors, property owners, equipment manufacturers, or other third parties.
• Catastrophic injury claims: Serious accidents may result in traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, amputations, severe burns, permanent disability, or other life-changing harm requiring extensive treatment and future care.

• Wrongful death cases: When negligence or other wrongful conduct causes a person’s death, eligible surviving family members may be able to pursue a wrongful death claim. These cases can seek compensation for losses suffered after the death of a spouse, parent, child, or other qualifying family member.

The type of claim affects which laws apply, what evidence should be preserved, and which parties may be responsible.

TorHoerman Law can review how the injury occurred and determine what legal options may be available under Illinois law.

How Much Does it Cost to Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer from THL?

TorHoerman Law offers free consultations for injured people and families considering a personal injury claim.

Our law firm handles qualifying personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis, which means clients generally do not pay attorney fees upfront.

Instead, our law firm is paid from the compensation recovered through a settlement or verdict, subject to the terms of the written fee agreement.

The contingency agreement explains the applicable attorney fee and how case expenses will be handled before representation begins.

This arrangement allows injured clients to pursue legal representation without paying hourly attorney fees while they may already be dealing with medical bills, lost wages, and other financial pressure.

If no compensation is recovered, clients generally do not owe attorney fees, subject to the terms of the agreement.

During a free consultation, our attorneys can explain the fee structure and answer questions about potential costs before you decide whether to move forward.

The legal process of a Troy personal injury lawsuit in the Troy area usually begins with medical treatment, damage mitigation, and an investigation into how the injury occurred.

Mitigating damages means taking reasonable steps to prevent an injury or financial loss from becoming worse, such as following medical advice and avoiding unnecessary gaps in treatment.

An attorney can then gather evidence, identify potentially responsible parties, review insurance coverage, and assess the losses caused by the accident.

Common personal injury cases may involve car crashes, truck accidents, dangerous property conditions, defective products, medical negligence, or other wrongful conduct.

Some claims resolve through insurance negotiations, while others require filing a lawsuit and proceeding through discovery, mediation, or trial preparation.

The exact process depends on the type of claim, the severity of the injuries, the available evidence, and whether liability or damages are disputed.

The legal process may include:

1. Medical treatment and mitigation of damages: The injured person obtains appropriate care and takes reasonable steps to avoid worsening the injury or resulting losses.
2. Free consultation: An attorney reviews what happened, the injuries involved, available evidence, and potential legal options.
3. Investigation: The legal team gathers police or incident reports, photographs, videos, witness statements, medical records, insurance information, and other relevant evidence.
4. Liability and damages analysis: Attorneys determine which parties may be responsible and evaluate medical expenses, lost income, property damage, pain and suffering, future care, and other losses.
5. Insurance claim and settlement demand: When appropriate, the attorney presents evidence supporting liability and damages to the insurer or responsible party.
6. Settlement negotiations: The parties may attempt to resolve the claim without filing or continuing a lawsuit.
7. Filing a lawsuit: If the claim does not resolve, the attorney may file a complaint in the appropriate court.
8. Discovery: The parties exchange information, request documents, take depositions, and obtain additional evidence relevant to the claims and defenses.
9. Mediation and trial preparation: The case may proceed to mediation while the attorneys continue preparing evidence, witnesses, and expert testimony for trial.
10. Settlement or trial: The case may conclude through a negotiated settlement, court judgment, or jury verdict.

Not every Troy personal injury case follows every step or proceeds all the way to trial.

The timeline can vary based on medical treatment, disputed issues, expert involvement, court scheduling, and the willingness of the parties to resolve the claim.

TorHoerman Law can guide clients through each stage and prepare the case for litigation when a negotiated resolution cannot be reached.

You may qualify for a personal injury claim if another person, business, property owner, healthcare provider, manufacturer, or other party caused or contributed to your injuries through negligence or other wrongful conduct.

A claim may arise from a car accident, truck crash, dangerous property condition, defective product, medical negligence, dog bite, or another preventable incident.

To pursue compensation, the available evidence generally must support both liability and the losses caused by the injury.

Those losses can include medical expenses, lost income, property damage, pain and suffering, emotional distress, disability, and other damages recognized under Illinois law.

You may still have a claim even if you believe you share some responsibility, although Illinois comparative negligence rules can reduce or bar recovery depending on the percentage of fault assigned to you.

The type of claim also affects which legal standards, filing deadlines, insurance policies, and defendants may be involved.

You do not need to know exactly who is responsible or have every piece of evidence before speaking with an attorney.

TorHoerman Law can review what happened, evaluate the available evidence, and explain whether you may have grounds to pursue a personal injury claim.

Common Types of Evidence in Personal Injury Cases

Evidence helps establish how an injury occurred, who may be responsible, and what losses resulted from the incident.

Strong documentation can also help address disputes over fault, the severity of the injuries, medical treatment, lost income, and other damages.

A personal injury lawyer can identify which evidence may be most important based on the type of claim and the circumstances surrounding the injury.

Attorneys can also obtain records that may be difficult for an injured person to access, preserve time-sensitive evidence, and work with experts when additional analysis is needed.

Building the case around reliable evidence can help support both liability and the amount of compensation being sought.

Common types of evidence in personal injury cases may include:

• Police or incident reports
• Photos and videos of the accident scene
• Witness statements
• Medical records and bills
• Employment and lost-income records
• Insurance documents and correspondence
• Surveillance, dashcam, or traffic camera footage
• Property maintenance or inspection records
• Product records, warnings, or packaging in defective product cases
• Expert reports and testimony

Potential Compensation in a Personal Injury Case

Damages are the financial and non-financial losses an injured person may seek to recover when another party is legally responsible for an injury.

A personal injury lawyer can assess damages by reviewing medical records, treatment costs, employment information, property losses, and evidence showing how the injury has affected the person’s daily life.

Attorneys may also consider future medical needs, reduced earning capacity, permanent limitations, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and other damages supported by the evidence.

Non-economic damages can address harms that do not have a direct dollar value, including pain and suffering, emotional distress, disability, and loss of normal life.

In qualifying cases, additional damages may be available based on the type of claim and the defendant’s conduct.

Potential compensation may include:

• Past and future medical expenses
• Lost wages
• Loss of future earning capacity
• Rehabilitation and long-term care costs
• Property damage
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Permanent disability or disfigurement
• Loss of normal life
• Loss of companionship or consortium in qualifying cases
• Other accident-related expenses
• Punitive damages in limited cases involving qualifying wrongful conduct

Punitive damages are intended to punish and deter particularly wrongful conduct rather than compensate for a specific loss, and they are not available in every type of personal injury case.

How Long Do I have to File a Personal Injury Case in Illinois?

In Illinois, most personal injury lawsuits must be filed within two years after the cause of action accrues.

Under 735 ILCS 5/13-202, actions seeking damages for injury to a person generally must be commenced within this two-year period.

For many accidents involving immediately apparent injuries, this typically means two years from the date of the injury.

The general two-year time limit commonly applies to claims involving:

• Car accidents
• Truck accidents
• Slip-and-fall and other premises liability claims
• Dog bites
• Many negligence-based injury claims
• Many product injury claims

Different rules and deadlines can apply depending on the type of case.

Medical malpractice claims, claims involving minors, wrongful death cases, claims against government entities or employees, workers’ compensation matters, and certain other claims require separate deadline analysis.

For example, many claims against Illinois local public entities or employees generally must be filed within one year, while medical malpractice claims are subject to separate discovery and repose rules.

Because missing the applicable filing deadline can prevent an otherwise valid claim from proceeding, TorHoerman Law can review when the injury occurred and determine which limitations period applies.

Illinois Requirements for Proving Negligence

Many personal injury claims are based on negligence, which generally requires proof that the defendant owed the injured person a legal duty, breached that duty, and caused an injury resulting in damages.

The specific duty and evidence required depend on how the injury occurred and the relationship between the parties.

A negligence claim generally requires proof of:

• Duty: The defendant owed the injured person a legal duty of care.
• Breach: The defendant failed to meet the applicable standard of care.
• Causation: The defendant’s conduct was a proximate cause of the injury.
• Damages: The injured person suffered compensable losses as a result.

Illinois also follows a modified comparative negligence rule for negligence claims.

Under 735 ILCS 5/2-1116, an injured person generally cannot recover damages if they are found more than 50% responsible for the injury or damage.

If their share of fault is 50% or less, the damages awarded are reduced in proportion to that percentage of fault.

An insurance company or defendant may dispute how an accident occurred or argue that the injured person shares some responsibility.

In a car accident case, that dispute might involve speeding, distraction, right-of-way, or another driver’s conduct, while a premises liability case may involve questions about the property condition and whether the danger was open and obvious.

A personal injury lawyer can use accident reports, photographs, medical records, witness testimony, expert analysis, and other evidence to address disputed liability.

A serious injury can affect your health, ability to work, finances, and daily life long after the initial accident.

TorHoerman Law represents injured people and families in Troy, Madison County, and throughout Southern Illinois in personal injury and wrongful death cases involving motor vehicle accidents, unsafe property conditions, defective products, medical negligence, and other forms of preventable harm.

Our attorneys can investigate what happened, preserve evidence, identify responsible parties, review insurance coverage, and document the financial and personal losses caused by the injury.

Our legal team prepares cases for both settlement negotiations and litigation, depending on the facts and how the claim develops.

We handle qualifying personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis, subject to the written fee agreement, so clients generally do not pay attorney fees upfront.

If you or a loved one was injured because of someone else’s negligence or wrongful conduct, contact TorHoerman Law for a free consultation or use the chat feature on this page to discuss your case with our legal team.