Springfield Tort Lawyers

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Litigation Lawyers in Springfield

A "tort" is defined in Springfield, Illinois as a legal wrong, not criminal in nature, for which the law provides compensation to the victim.

Basically, a tort in Springfield, Illinois is any wrongful action committed by one person against another, which gives the victim of the wrongdoing the legal right to sue the wrongdoer. This is known as a "cause of action."

Springfield, Illinois's laws recognize many different torts. However, the civil litigation system only deals with a few of these dozens of torts with any frequency. While the most obscure torts are occasionally litigated, there are only a small amount that the average person is likely to deal with (either as a plaintiff or defendant) at some point in their lives. They include fraud, negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and battery.

Types of Torts in Springfield, Illinois

Negligence: This is by far the tort that is most often dealt with in the courts of Springfield, Illinois. Put simply, negligence is a failure to exercise a reasonable amount of care, and causing harm to someone as a result. For instance, driving 30 miles per hour over the speed limit is obviously very careless. So, if you are driving that fast, and your speed causes you to get into an accident that harms someone else (either their body or their property), you have committed negligence, and will be required to compensate the victim for the harm that you caused. You should know, however, that this is just an apparent example, and there are a practically infinite number of situations in which a negligence lawsuit can arise.

Fraud: Unlike negligence, fraud is an intentional tort. Like negligence, courts in Springfield, Illinois deal with it quite frequently. Put simply, fraud is a lie told for personal gain. It requires an affirmative misrepresentation, which the speaker knows to be false, intended to induce the victim to render some benefit to the speaker, which causes actual harm (such as financial loss) to the victim. It happens most often when somebody is trying to sell something for more than it's worth, and lies about the nature or value of the product to the buyer. If the buyer relies on the seller's false statements of fact in making the decision to buy the product, the seller has committed fraud. In such a case, the buyer is legally entitled to compensation for the harm suffered as a result of the fraud.

Battery: Battery is defined by the law of Springfield, Illinois as any contact by one person, with the body of another, which is offensive or harmful. Any conduct that causes physical injury, pain, or emotional distress is battery. Also, you do not need to actually touch a person with your own body to commit battery - simply directing harmful contact (say, by throwing a rock) toward another person is sufficient to create liability for battery. Battery can also arise from "offensive" contact, which is essentially any physical contact that violates one's sense of personal dignity constitutes battery, and the victim could technically sue over it. However, in most cases like that, the plaintiff hasn't suffered any real harm, and will only be able to recover nominal damages, which would be far, far less than the cost of filing a lawsuit.

Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress: Intentional infliction of emotional distress is also called IIED in Springfield, Illinois, and it was not recognized as a valid cause of action until fairly recently (for the longest time, physical harm was a requirement before someone could sue for tort damages). To hold a defendant liable for IIED, it must be shown that the defendant engaged in some type of outrageous conduct, targeted at the plaintiff. Furthermore, it must be shown that this conduct directly caused severe emotional distress in the plaintiff, and that that was the defendant's intent. Proving that actual emotional distress occurred is the most difficult element of this tort, and the plaintiff's word is far from sufficient. It often requires intensive examination by a psychiatrist, who will then testify as to the plaintiff's mental state.

How Can A Springfield, Illinois Tort Lawyer Help?

If you have been the victim of a tort in , Illinois, you have the right to seek legal redress. And if you have been sued for a tort, you have a right to defend yourself.

Whatever your situation, a tort lawyer who has experience in representing people in Springfield, Illinois tort cases can advise you on the best way to proceed, and give you the best chance of winning your case, whatever side you're on.

Talk to a Law Attorney now!

Life in Springfield

Springfield, Illinois is the capital of the state of Illinois. It is also the county seat of Sangamon County. Its current population is approximately 116,000 people.

Springfield, Illinois is best known for being the longtime residence of President Abraham Lincoln, who worked as a lawyer in Springfield, Illinois before being elected president and moving to Washington, D.C.

Because it is the capital of a large state, but relatively small in population, the biggest employer in Springfield, Illinois is the state government. The state of Illinois employs a large number of Springfield, Illinois lawyers. They serve as public defenders, prosecuting attorneys, and attorneys that represent the state in civil matters.

On top of that, there are many Springfield, Illinois attorneys in private practice. So, if you need legal advice, or some other legal service, you should start by contacting a qualified Springfield, Illinois attorney.

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