Hassakis & Hassakis, PC
Southern Illinois Personal Injury Lawyers
Mount Vernon Illinois - St. Louis Missouri

Frequently Asked Questions 

 

Q: What are your fees?
A: We work on a contingency fee basis, which means that there are no attorneys' fees until we obtain a recovery for you. Also, we pay all expenses (not including your unpaid medical bills), and if we do not obtain a recovery for you through trial, we will not ask you to pay for those expenses. So, you will never pay Hassakis & Hassakis, P.C. any monies for fees or expenses until a successful recovery on your behalf. However, should you not follow our recommendations regarding settlement or trial, and a result is obtained not as envisioned, only then may a client have to pay costs. Otherwise, we stand behind our advice and recommendations such that no fees or costs will ever be due us without recovery on your behalf.

Q: Why should I hire this law firm?
A: We care. We listen. We are very thorough and dogged until justice is served. We enjoy helping people put their lives back together and listening to their story and making them feel like somebody cares about their future. For instance, last year a family interviewed several other firms and attorneys, including this office. The family hired this law firm. They told me that we really listened and showed concern for all aspects of their case.

Q: My injury was pretty recent. Should I contact an attorney?
A: Yes. It is easier for an attorney to investigate a case and to talk to witnesses about a case when it is fresh in their minds. It may be that if you delay, it will be much more difficult to locate witnesses or to protect your rights. Most cases require fairly prompt notice to a number of persons and entities and if prompt notice is not given, you could lose all or most of your rights. Some cases require notice of filing very soon after an injury.

Q: Do I have a medical malpractice case?
A: If you believe that your doctor, pharmacist, nurse or hospital made a mistake and you believe that mistake has caused you a serious injury, you may have a medical malpractice case. Our law office consults with experts on medical malpractice cases from around the country and will give you the opinions of those experts if we feel that your facts may support further investigation leading to evidence of a wrongdoing. In order to proceed with a medical malpractice case, an expert must be willing to testify that your doctor, nurse, pharmacist or hospital did not comply with the appropriate standard of care. In fact, a certificate of merit from such an expert must be presented most often even before a case can be filed.

Q: I am afraid to make a claim for compensation, as I don't really want to go to court. What should I do?
A: While some claims do end up in court, the majority, estimated at 95% to 97% of all cases settle out of court. For someone who has a substantial injury matter, it behooves one to retain experienced professional representation at the soonest available time.

We work on a contingency fee basis. We do not get paid unless you win.

Call us today for a free consultation at 1-800-553-3125 or e-mail us.

Contact Us

1-800-553-3125
206 South Ninth Street, Suite 201
Mt. Vernon, Illinois 62864

HABITS TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM

IDENTITY THEFT

Most of us were taught at a very small age not to talk to strangers and to look both ways before crossing the street. Both of these are simple ways to protect yourself every day. Another important way is to shield your financial and personal information.

Identity theft can be accomplished anonymously, easily, and the impact on the victim can be devastating. It is a serious crime that affects over 10 million Americans per year, and the number of victims is continually growing.  Your identity can be taken not only while you are outside your home by thieves who steal your mail and/or garbage receipts, but also while you are inside by obtaining information from your personal computer while you are on-line. Identity theft is a serious problem. Here are a few steps you should take to protect yourself:

* Shred financial documents and any papers with personal information on them before you discard them. This includes any document revealing information of financial account numbers, Social Security numbers, names, addresses and phone numbers. For a thief, finding these things is not a difficult task.

* Protect your Social Security number. Do not carry it on you on a daily basis. Be sure to cross out your number if it is written on any document that you no longer need. Only give this number out if absolutely necessary.

* Never click on a link that is sent in unsolicited emails. Use anti-virus software and firewalls to protect your home computer.

* Choose callers, instead of them choosing you. Put yourself on the "Do Not Call" list, which can be used to limit unsolicited calls. Send your name, address and phone number to Telephone Preference service, c/o Direct Marketing Association, P.O. Box 9014, Farmingdale, NY 11735-9014. You can also find more information at www.donotcall.gov.

* Don’t use obvious passwords like your dogs name, your birthday, or the last four digits of your Social Security number.  By all means, do not give out or furnish your complete Social Security number to anyone.

* Keep your personal information at home in a safe place.

* Monitor your accounts by obtaining a statement each month from your credit card companies, bank accounts, any line of credit, etc. to make sure that there are no outstanding debts that you weren’t aware of.