Litigation and Appeals
At Mertes & Mertes, P.C., we represent individuals in a variety of legal disputes, including:
- automobile accidents
- medical malpractice
- workers compensation
- contested family law
- criminal cases
- and several other types of cases.
We discourage unnecessary litigation, but when litigation is necessary, we devote ourselves to protecting the interests of our clients.
We have extensive appellate experience. The lawyers of Mertes & Mertes, P.C. possess an outstanding ability to recognize the critical legal issues, raise legal challenges, and pursue challenges to erroneous rulings at the appellate court level.
DISCLAIMER: This site and any information contained herein are intended for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. Please contact Mertes & Mertes, Attorneys At Law for advice on any legal matter.
Definitions:
Litigation -Illinois litigation attorneys represent parties who have filed a lawsuit (plaintiffs) in civil court and those who have been sued (defendants), in all phases of a case — including discovery, motions, and trial.
Appeals – Illinois appeals attorneys represent parties in challenging the outcome of a lower court case, including preparation of written briefs and oral arguments in appellate court.
Medical Malpractice - Medical malpractice in Illinois is professional negligence by act or omission by a health care provider in which care provided deviates from accepted standards of practice in the medical community and causes injury or death to the patient. Standards and regulations for medical malpractice vary by country and jurisdiction within countries. Medical professionals are required to maintain professional liability insurance to offset the risk and costs of lawsuits based on medical malpractice.
Worker’s Compensation – Workers’ compensation (colloquially known as workers’ comp or workman’s comp in North America and compo in Australia) is a form of insurance that provides compensation medical care for employees who are injured in the course of employment, in exchange for mandatory relinquishment of the employee’s right to sue his or her employer for the tort of negligence. The tradeoff between assured, limited coverage and lack of recourse outside the worker compensation system is known as “the compensation bargain.” While plans differ between jurisdictions, provision can be made for weekly payments in place of wages (functioning in this case as a form of disability insurance), compensation for economic loss (past and future), reimbursement or payment of medical and like expenses (functioning in this case as a form of health insurance), and benefits payable to the dependants of workers killed during employment (functioning in this case as a form of life insurance). General damages for pain and suffering, and punitive damages for employer negligence, are generally not available in worker compensation plans.
Contested Family Law – There are countless reasons why marriages fail. Unfortunately, the divorce proceedings that follow are often anything but civil or friendly. Divorces may be times of tension and uncertainty. When the spouses are unable to resolve the issues between them, the divorce is known as a contested divorce. In such cases, it is important to consult a skilled family lawyer who can help guide you through the divorce process with as little distress as possible.
Criminal Law – Criminal law, or penal law, is the bodies of rules with the potential for severe impositions as punishment for failure to comply. Criminal punishment, depending on the offense and jurisdiction, may include execution, loss of liberty, government supervision (parole or probation), or fines. There are some archetypal crimes, like murder, but the acts that are forbidden are not wholly consistent between different criminal codes, and even within a particular code lines may be blurred as civil infractions may give rise also to criminal consequences. Criminal law typically is enforced by the government, unlike the civil law, which may be enforced by private parties. more information here
Appellate – An appellate court is any court of law that is empowered to hear an appeal of a trial court or other lower tribunal. In most jurisdictions, the court system is divided into at least three levels: the trial court, which initially hears cases and reviews evidence and testimony to determine the facts of the case; at least one intermediate appellate court; and a supreme court (or court of last resort) which primarily reviews the decisions of the intermediate courts. A supreme court is therefore itself a kind of appellate court. Appellate courts worldwide can operate by varying rules.
