Wrongful Death Lawyer
Charlie Therman Injury & Accident Lawyers, P.C.
Within the broader personal injury practice of Charlie Therman Injury & Accident Lawyers, P.C., wrongful death representation stands as one of the most sensitive areas the firm handles. Operating from 8501 W Higgins Road, Suite 720, on Chicago's Northwest Side, the firm supports families across Cook County who have lost a loved one because of another party's negligence, recklessness, or a preventable accident. This page profiles that specific facet of the practice — how it connects to the firm's wider injury work, what a wrongful death claim actually involves, and the communities where this representation is delivered.
How This Work Fits Into the Firm's Broader Practice
Charlie Therman Injury & Accident Lawyers, P.C. is a personal injury and accident law firm, and wrongful death claims sit alongside its work on car accidents, truck accidents, slip and fall accidents, workers' compensation, dog bites, boating accidents, and elevator accidents. Many wrongful death cases grow directly out of those same incident types — a fatal vehicle collision, a workplace equipment failure, or a hazard on someone's property. Because the firm already handles the underlying accident categories, it approaches a death claim with the same investigative discipline it brings to any serious injury matter, while recognizing that these cases carry a weight the others do not.
According to the firm's own materials, its attorneys have been fighting for clients since 2002 and bring more than 75 years of combined experience to the cases they take on. That depth matters in wrongful death claims, where the person harmed can no longer speak for themselves and the family relies entirely on the legal team to reconstruct what happened and press for accountability.
What a Wrongful Death Claim Involves in Plain Language
A wrongful death claim asks a specific legal question: did another person, company, or entity owe a duty of care, fail to meet it, and cause a death as a result? Proving that chain is rarely simple. In Illinois, these claims fall under the Illinois Wrongful Death Act (740 ILCS 180), which generally requires a lawsuit to be filed within two years of the death. Close family members — often a surviving spouse or next of kin — may pursue damages that reflect both the losses their loved one experienced and the losses the family will continue to carry.
The table below outlines common sources of wrongful death claims the firm handles and the kinds of considerations each raises.
| Type of Incident | What It Involves | Typical Considerations |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle accidents | Fatal car, truck, or motorcycle collisions | Police reports, camera footage, accident reconstruction |
| Medical malpractice | Preventable mistakes by doctors, hospitals, or nurses | Records of licensed professional conduct and standard of care |
| Premises liability | Falls, swimming pool incidents, or property hazards | Evidence of the hazard and the property owner's duty |
| Workplace accidents | Equipment failure, falls, or on-the-job vehicle incidents | Workplace conditions and overlapping injury claims |
| Defective products | Medications, safety equipment, or consumer goods that fail | Product design, warnings, and manufacturer responsibility |
How the Firm Investigates a Claim
The firm describes a thorough investigation as central to any wrongful death case. The following sequence reflects the general path such a claim can take.
- Review the circumstances of the death and confirm whether a duty of care may have been breached.
- Identify every at-fault party — which may be a single person or a group — using witness statements, police reports, and camera footage.
- Apply accident reconstruction work where the sequence of events is disputed or unclear.
- Document what the loved one lost before death, such as medical bills and lost wages they would have recovered had they survived.
- Assess the family's ongoing losses, including the financial and personal impact of the death.
- File a claim against the at-fault party and hold the responsible insurance company accountable.
- Negotiate toward a recovery that covers final medical costs, burial and funeral expenses, and the family's future needs.
Serving Families Across Chicago and Cook County
The office sits along West Higgins Road near Cumberland Avenue, within reach of the Kennedy Expressway (I-90) and O'Hare International Airport, and convenient to the Norwood Park and Edison Park neighborhoods. From there, the firm serves a wide swath of the north and northwest metropolitan area, including Park Ridge, Rosemont, Des Plaines, Niles, Skokie, Jefferson Park, Edgebrook, Sauganash, Portage Park, Elmwood Park, River Forest, Glenview, Morton Grove, Elmhurst, Mount Prospect, and Elk Grove Village, among many other communities in Cook County.
These are neighborhoods anchored by familiar landmarks — the Leaning Tower of Niles, Rivers Casino Des Plaines, Harlem Irving Plaza, the Irish American Heritage Center, Golf Mill Shopping Center, LaBagh Woods, and the North Park Village Nature Center. Families throughout this region who are navigating the aftermath of a fatal accident can reach the practice by phone at +1 773-886-1601.
What Distinguishes the Firm's Approach
The firm frames its wrongful death work around a combination of compassion for grieving families and an aggressive pursuit of accountability. It notes that criminal charges against a responsible party do not, on their own, compensate a family — which is why a separate civil claim can matter so much. With its long-standing base in the Higgins Road business district, its roots in the surrounding Northwest Side and suburban communities, and its focus on personal injury and accident law since 2002, Charlie Therman Injury & Accident Lawyers, P.C. positions this practice area as a dedicated legal resource for Chicagoland families facing the hardest circumstances.
Getting here
From Leaning Tower of Niles
The Leaning Tower of Niles is about 4.7 miles from the office, a drive of roughly 15 minutes. Follow W Touhy Ave and N Harlem Ave, then continue via W Devon Ave and W Higgins Rd.
Common questions
What is the typical payout for a wrongful death suit in IL 60631?
There is no fixed payout, because wrongful death outcomes depend on factors like lost income, medical costs, the deceased's earning potential, and the circumstances of the loss. Amounts vary widely from case to case. A firm such as Charlie Therman Injury & Accident Lawyers, P.C., which handles wrongful death matters on Chicago's Northwest Side near Cumberland Avenue, evaluates each situation individually rather than applying a single figure.
What are the odds of winning a wrongful death lawsuit in IL 60631?
Odds depend heavily on the strength of the evidence, liability, and how clearly negligence can be established. Many valid claims resolve through settlement rather than trial. Rather than quoting statistics, a personal injury practice like Charlie Therman Injury & Accident Lawyers, P.C. in the 60631 area of Cook County typically reviews the specific facts before advising families about the realistic prospects of their individual case.
How much can I sue for wrongful death in IL 60631?
Under Illinois law, families may generally seek compensation for financial losses such as lost support and services, as well as grief, sorrow, and loss of companionship. There is no universal cap dictating a single number. Charlie Therman Injury & Accident Lawyers, P.C., a personal injury firm serving Chicago and surrounding Cook County communities like Park Ridge and Niles, assesses damages based on each family's particular circumstances.
Who can file a wrongful death claim in Illinois?
In Illinois, a wrongful death action is typically filed by the personal representative of the deceased's estate, with any recovery benefiting the surviving spouse and next of kin. The rules can be technical about who qualifies and how the estate is administered. Charlie Therman Injury & Accident Lawyers, P.C., based on Chicago's Northwest Side, handles wrongful death matters for families throughout the greater Chicagoland region.
What's the average wrongful death payout in IL 60631?
Averages can be misleading because every wrongful death case turns on unique facts—the decedent's income, dependents, and the nature of the negligence involved. A stated "average" rarely reflects any individual claim. Charlie Therman Injury & Accident Lawyers, P.C., a personal injury practice near O'Hare in the 60631 area, focuses on the details of a specific loss rather than generalized figures when guiding families.
What not to say to an injury lawyer in IL 60631?
Generally, it's best to be fully honest with your own injury lawyer—withholding details or downplaying facts can hurt your case. Where caution matters is with insurers and opposing parties, not your attorney. Firms like Charlie Therman Injury & Accident Lawyers, P.C., which handle car, truck, workers' compensation, and slip-and-fall matters across Chicago and Cook County, rely on complete, accurate information to represent clients effectively.