Top 4 Personal Injury Lawyers in Belleville, Illinois

Hipskind & McAninch is the best personal injury firm in Belleville for most injury cases. Both founders once worked as trial lawyers for large corporations. Now they use what they learned to push insurers on behalf of injured people. The firm has recovered more than $50 million for clients, including $20 million after a fatal car crash, and it has more than 500 five-star Google reviews. Injured workers can turn to Nelson Law, P.C., a Belleville firm with more than 40 years of workers' compensation work. Keefe, Keefe & Unsell, P.C. leads on medical malpractice, with three birth injury results over $17 million. Bartholomew, Shevlin & Flack, LLP fights people hurt on construction sites and has a $6 million construction injury verdict from St. Clair County.

Belleville Injury Firms Compared

Firm	Best For	Office Base	Key Result or Credential	Experience	Fee Model
Hipskind & McAninch	Best Overall for Personal Injury	West Main St, Belleville	$20M fatal crash result; $50M+ recovered in total	Founders are former corporate defense trial lawyers; Super Lawyers Rising Stars	Contingency, paid only from what the firm wins
Nelson Law, P.C.	Workers' Compensation	North High St, Belleville	$1.25M third-party recovery for an injured worker	40+ years; licensed in Illinois and Missouri	Free consultation, no fee unless the firm wins
Keefe, Keefe & Unsell, P.C.	Medical Malpractice	Executive Woods Ct, Belleville	$19.5M birth injury result	Founded in 1992; AV Preeminent rating	Free consultation, $0 unless the firm wins
Bartholomew, Shevlin & Flack, LLP	Construction Accidents	Public Square, Belleville	$6M construction injury verdict in St. Clair County	Decades of injury trial work	Contingency, no upfront cost

1. Hipskind & McAninch

Best Overall for Personal Injury

Every insurer has a script for injury claims. John Hipskind and Brady McAninch used to help write it. They started their careers as trial lawyers for large corporations. Then they changed sides and opened a firm that represents only injured people.

That inside view pays off. The firm won $20 million for a family after a fatal car crash. It got $1 million in a low-impact rear-end crash, the type of claim insurers often brush off as minor. It also secured $2 million in another car crash case.

McAninch graduated magna cum laude from the Southern Illinois University School of Law. Both founders made the Super Lawyers Rising Stars list three years running, and both belong to the National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40.

The team handles car, truck, motorcycle, bus, bicycle, and pedestrian crashes. It also takes slip and falls, dog bites, brain and spinal cord injuries, nursing home abuse, and wrongful death. Clients pay nothing up front. The fee is a percentage of what the firm recovers. Offices in Belleville, Highland, and St. Louis cover St. Clair County, Madison County, and cases across the river.

●     Address: 3201 W Main St, Belleville, IL 62226

●     Phone: 618-641-9189

●     Website: hm-attorneys.com

2. Nelson Law, P.C.

Best for Workers' Compensation

A teacher hurts her back by lifting boxes. A truck driver blows out a shoulder. A roofer falls. In the Metro East, all three may end up fighting the same insurer. Nelson Law has handled those fights for more than 40 years.

This is a family firm across generations. Robert C. Nelson has represented injured people for over four decades and still helps shape case strategy. Managing partner Reed C. Nelson and partner Nathan C. Lanter are both named Leading Lawyers in Illinois. David C. Nelson is a Super Lawyers selectee who has tried cases to verdict in state and federal courts.

The firm handles claims, appeals, disability benefits, and death benefits. Illinois pays injured workers about two-thirds of their wages, along with medical bills and permanent disability payments. The firm also looks past the employer. In one case, it won $1.25 million for an injured worker through a separate claim against a third party. Phones are answered 24 hours a day.

●     Address: 420 N. High Street, Belleville, IL 62220

●     Phone: 618-277-4000

●     Website: nelsonlawpc.com

3. Keefe, Keefe & Unsell, P.C.

Best for Medical Malpractice

Medical cases hinge on expert proof and large defense budgets. Keefe, Keefe & Unsell has handled complex injury trials in Southern Illinois since 1992, and its record shows it.

The firm lists a $19.5 million birth injury result, an $18 million birth injury result, and a $17.69 million birth injury result. It has also won large verdicts in trucking and defective product cases. The legal team includes Thomas Q. Keefe Jr., Thomas Q. Keefe III, Samantha S. Unsell, Kelly Crosby, Mary Schallert, and S. Clayton Spoeneman.

The firm holds an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell, and its lawyers appear in Super Lawyers and Leading Lawyers. Before a malpractice suit can go forward in Illinois, a qualified health professional has to sign a written report backing the claim. Getting that report takes time, so families should call early. The first meeting is free, and clients pay $0 unless the firm wins.

●     Address: 6 Executive Woods Court, Belleville, IL 62226

●     Phone: 618-403-7152

●     Website: keefeandkeefe.com

4. Bartholomew, Shevlin & Flack, LLP

Best for Construction Accidents

Road crews on I-255. Framers on new homes. Steelworkers on plant upgrades. St. Clair County has plenty of active job sites, and plenty of ways to get hurt on them.

Bartholomew, Shevlin & Flack works from an office on Public Square in downtown Belleville. Attorneys Joseph A. Bartholomew, Gregory L. Shevlin, and Donald M. Flack have spent decades on injury cases in Southern Illinois and Missouri. Their record includes a $6 million construction injury verdict and a $4.2 million construction injury settlement, both in St. Clair County. They also list a $37.8 million wrongful death verdict.

Workers' comp covers only part of a worker's lost pay and medical bills. A general contractor, an equipment maker, or a property owner may also be at fault. This firm looks for those extra claims. The first consultation is free, and there is no upfront cost.

●     Address: 23 Public Square, Suite 465, Belleville, IL 62220

●     Phone: 618-873-0050

●     Website: shevlinlawgroup.com

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the top personal injury lawyer in Belleville, IL?

Hipskind & McAninch is first on this list. The firm has recovered more than $50 million, including a $20 million fatal crash result. Its founders used to defend corporations, so they know how insurers build a case. It also has more than 500 five-star Google reviews.

How long does someone have to file an injury lawsuit in Illinois?

Most injury claims must be filed within two years of the injury. Claims against a local government body often have a one-year limit. Missing the deadline usually ends the case.

Can an injured person still recover money if they were partly at fault?

Yes, in most cases. Illinois uses a modified comparative fault rule. A person can recover as long as they are not more than 50% at fault. The award goes down by their share of the blame.

What is the deadline for a workers' compensation claim in Illinois?

A worker should tell the employer about the injury within 45 days. The formal claim usually has to be filed within three years of the injury, or within two years of the last benefit payment, whichever is later.

Can a hurt construction worker sue someone besides their employer?

Yes. Workers' comp usually blocks a lawsuit against the employer. But if a contractor, equipment maker, or property owner caused the accident, the worker may file a separate injury claim against that party.

How much does a Belleville personal injury lawyer cost?

Most injury lawyers work on contingency. The fee comes from a share of the recovery, and the client owes no fee if the case is lost.