Practice Areas

After suffering serious injuries on the job or in another accident, you should seek legal guidance without delay. Enlisting an experienced attorney to represent you in a personal injury lawsuit or a workers’ compensation claim may make a huge difference in the outcome of your case. At Ackerman Law Office, Springfield personal injury lawyer James W. Ackerman can provide comprehensive and knowledgeable representation to help you win your case.

Accident Victims

If you have been hurt as a result of someone else’s careless conduct, you can take legal action to pursue compensation for your harm. If you can establish the defendant’s liability, you can potentially recover compensation for medical bills, lost income, lost enjoyment of life, pain and suffering, other elements of economic damages, and non-economic damages. It is important to consult an attorney as soon as possible so that you can gather all of the necessary evidence to build a persuasive case.

Workers’ Compensation

Most people employed in central Illinois are covered under the state Workers’ Compensation Act. If you are injured on the job, you can make a claim for benefits. The benefits to which you are entitled may include compensation for medical expenses, lost wages and permanent disability. Work injuries require specific actions to ensure you receive the benefits to which you are entitled. Companies report injuries to their workers’ compensation insurance carrier, but such insurers sometimes deny benefits. Be sure you take the required action and get your questions answered after sustaining an injury at work.

Car Accidents

Auto accidents are a frequent occurrence, and can negatively impact the lives of their victims, causing extensive medical problems, bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, disability, and property damage. Insurance companies don’t always pay accident victims fairly, and we are experienced at negotiating with insurance companies to get your bills paid as quickly as possible, including uninsured / underinsured claims.

Trucking Accidents

Victims of trucking accidents may have all the challenges of a car accident personal injury case, but they also may suffer extremely serious injuries and have special needs related to preserving evidence. Trucking companies and drivers often do not have an incentive to preserve evidence and may even alter evidence of neglect, fatigue, speeding, lack of maintenance, or intoxication. Call Ackerman Law Office right away – let them help preserve evidence, locate witnesses, and hire a re-constructionist if necessary.

Medical Malpractice

Medical malpractice cases can include failure to diagnose or treat, medication errors, compartment syndrome, cerebral palsy, surgical errors and birth injuries. Ackerman Law can help by consulting medical experts, analyzing a patient’s medical history and evaluating complicated and lengthy medical records. Misdiagnosis can include things such as an improper examination, the failure to order appropriate testing, misinterpreting test results, or failing to perform regular screening for allergic reactions, compartment syndrome, stroke, heart disease, diabetic reactions, pulmonary embolism, and bacterial meningitis, among others.

Medical providers do not settle cases with patients who do not have a lawyer, in our experience. Victims of medical malpractice need professional legal representation to successfully fight these complicated cases.

Nursing Home Negligence

Nursing home negligence is, unfortunately, common in Illinois. Nursing home negligence cases may involve bedsores, inadequate staff, falls that should have been prevented and resulted in broken bones, dehydration or malnutrition, improper medication, brain injuries, and abuse of residents. Nursing homes are held to particular standards that are intended to prevent inadequate staffing, inadequate training, insufficient medical care, and abuse of residents by staff or other residents. Ackerman Law aggressively pursues the rights of the elderly, their families and can bring lawsuits when a nursing home patient dies as a result of negligence or abuse.

Estate Planning and Probate

Ackerman Law Office also assists clients with estate planning services and matters that arise in probate proceedings. Planning how your assets should be dispersed when you pass away, or establishing the appropriate trusts and living wills to protect your loved ones and your wishes, is an important undertaking. Our firm works with clients to identify their goals and execute plans that serve their interests. We also assist clients in navigating the potentially complicated process of probate to ensure that a loved one’s wishes are properly carried out.

Claims We Do Not Take

At Ackerman Law Office we take fewer cases so we can focus on those where we are confident we can achieve success for our clients. Some claims that we rarely take include: prior injuries to the same body part; minor impact collisions; collisions where you get the ticket or are the cause of the accident; and when another lawyer has previously been involved. Please call us at 217-789-1977 to discuss your individual case.