What qualifies as a personal injury case

A personal injury case arises when someone else's negligence or wrongful conduct causes you harm. That covers car and truck accidents, motorcycle crashes, slip-and-falls, dog bites, workplace injuries, defective products, and wrongful death. The common thread: another party failed to act reasonably, and that failure hurt you. If you're not sure your situation fits, that's a reasonable question for a free consultation, not something to guess at on your own.

How do I know if I have a valid claim?

You generally need to show that someone else was negligent, that their negligence caused your injury, and that the injury resulted in real damages. Wisconsin and Illinois both reduce or bar recovery once your own fault crosses certain thresholds. How fault gets divided matters as much as whether someone else was careless. We evaluate the fault picture before we tell a client what their case is worth.

How much is my case worth

It depends on your medical expenses, lost wages, the severity and permanence of your injury, and how much pain and disruption it caused. Two people with similar accidents can have very different case values. One recovers fully in a month. The other faces years of treatment. We don't give a number on the first call. We give one after records, bills, and prognosis are in hand.

How long do I have to file

Wisconsin and Illinois both generally allow three years from the date of injury. Claims against a government entity can require formal notice in as little as 120 days. Waiting to "see how the injury heals" before calling an attorney is one of the more common ways people accidentally forfeit a claim.

Will I have to go to court

Most personal injury cases resolve through negotiated settlement, not trial. We still prepare every file as if trial is coming, because insurers pay differently when they believe a firm will actually litigate. If a lawsuit becomes necessary to preserve your rights, the large majority of clients still never have to appear in a courtroom themselves.

What damages can I recover

Medical bills past and future, lost income, diminished earning capacity, property damage, pain and suffering, and emotional distress. In rarer cases involving reckless conduct, punitive damages too. The specific mix depends entirely on what happened to you and how it's affected your life since.

What should I do immediately after an accident

Call 911. Get medical attention even if you feel fine at the scene. Photograph everything. Gather witness contact information. Speak with an attorney before giving any statement to an insurance company — including your own.

Why hire an attorney instead of handling this myself

Insurance companies negotiate injury claims for a living. Most people negotiate one, maybe twice, in a lifetime. That imbalance is exactly what an experienced attorney corrects: gathering evidence, calculating true case value, and pushing back on lowball tactics you'd otherwise face alone.

Practice Areas Archive - Tabak Law Injury Attorneys

What We Handle

Two focuses. One relentless standard.

This practice is built around the injuries that change lives: harm caused by someone else’s carelessness, and injuries suffered on the job. From day one we investigate, gather medical records, and build a case that holds up under pressure.

Personal Injury

When another driver, property owner, or business puts you in harm’s way, we pursue the full value of your medical bills, lost income, and pain and suffering, and we hold the insurer accountable for shifting blame.

Car accidents

Truck accidents

Motorcycle accidents

Dog bites

Slip & fall

Assault & battery

Workers’ Compensation

Injured on the job? We protect your right to medical treatment and wage benefits, push back when a claim is denied or delayed, and identify third-party claims that a workers’ comp check alone can miss.

Construction injuries

Industrial accidents

Denied claims

Repetitive strain

Return-to-work disputes

Car Accidents

Crashes with cars, semis, and commercial vehicles where distraction, speed, or negligence caused serious injury.
Motorcycle Accidents

Riders face outsized harm and unfair bias from insurers. We tell your side and demand a fair recovery.
Slip & Trip Falls

Falls on unsafe property, from wet floors to hidden hazards, that a business should have prevented.
Dog Bites

Serious bite injuries and attacks where an owner failed to control a dangerous animal.
School and Property Injuries

Accidents at school, on another’s property, and swimming pool injuries caused by negligent supervision.
Workplace & Construction Accidents

Construction and industrial injuries, including cases with both a comp claim and a third-party lawsuit.
Assault & Battery

Compassionate, confidential representation for survivors seeking civil accountability and recovery.
Sexual Assault

When an injury limits the work you can do, we pursue lost wages and future earning power.

Practice Areas

Two focuses. One relentless standard.

Personal Injury

Workers’ Compensation

Practice

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