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Filing Paperwork For A Chicago Personal Injury Claim (Part A)

You've suffered a personal injury in Chicago and your injuries are severe enough that you're considering filing an Illinois personal injury lawsuit to obtain compensation. Once you've gotten your immediate medical needs satisfied, it's time to start the filing of paperwork necessary to proceed with your personal injury claim.

Now is the time to start your relationship with a Chicago personal injury attorney to help you ensure all the necessary forms are filed out corrected and submitted on time.

Starting the Injury Claim Process: Filing the Complaint

The very first document you'll file in your Chicago personal injury claim is the complaint or petition. The complaint is the backbone of your case and provides the basic information for your claim. An incomplete or misfiled complaint is a common reason many personal injury claims are denied before they can even begin. Your complaint should at the very least address:

• the parties involved
• identifying the court's jurisdiction over the case
• your claims involving your accident
• the facts in relation to your claims
• a demand for judgment (also known as a prayer for relief, where you ask for specific damages)

The complaint should be brief and to the point, as the serious evidence of your case and details of your request for damages will be later defined in the pre-trial discovery phase.

The Summons and Service of Process

After the complaint is filed with the court, a summons will be sent to the defendant, including the complaint document. A summons is the notice to the defendant that you are filing a Chicago personal injury claim against them. This document contains:

• notice that the recipient is being sued and by whom
• the claims being made against them (in the form of your complaint)
• the time limit in which they have to answer the complaint or attempt to have the case dismissed
• the consequences of not responding

The party being served has to now respond to this summons and continue the proceedings in your claim. Read on to learn the next documents in the paperwork stage of your personal injury claim.

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