Personal Injury Lawyer in Aurora, IL

Burger Law defends the rights of people who are injured due to negligent and reckless actions. If you or a loved one has been injured all because someone else behaved recklessly or irresponsibly, Burger Law’s personal injury lawyers in Aurora, IL demand the recovery you are owed and fight for you every step of the way. Call Burger Law now at (312) 500-HURT or fill out our online form.

To calculate the value of your personal injury claim in Aurora, or anywhere in Illinois, take a look at our complimentary personal injury calculator.

The negligent people that harmed you are financially and legally responsible for taking care of your injuries and paying you 100 percent of what you are owed, but that does not mean they will do it willingly. Burger Law’s personal injury lawyer team fights hard for our clients against anyone who is trying to keep them from the money they are owed. We handle a variety of cases, including making claims against large trucking companies, holding negligent physicians, product manufacturers, animal owners accountable, suing City Hall, to securing justice and financial security for Aurora residents after a loved one passed too soon. If you want to know if you have a claim, what compensation you are owed or anything else about the personal injury claims process, call our personal injury lawyers in Aurora, IL as soon as possible at (779) 800-HURT.

Why Choose Burger Law’s Aurora, IL Personal Injury Lawyers For Your Claim

It can be difficult to know how to choose the best personal injury lawyer for you. You want someone with a history of winning similar cases and who is not afraid to take your case all the way to trial if they have to. In order to have a good understanding of the abilities of a law firm, you need to look at their previous successes, and what their clients and other lawyers say about them:

Acclaimed Aurora, IL Personal Injury Lawyers

The many awards and recognition Burger Law has received from other law firms include:

• Martindale-Hubbell Award — AV Preeminent® Rated by Martindale-Hubbell® from NexisLexis® – a notable achievement awarded to less than 5 percent of all lawyers in the United States
• Million and Multi-Million Dollar Advocate Honor — Members of the Million and Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, an honor only given to 1 percent of attorneys in the United States.
• Top 100 Trial Lawyers Honor — Selected to the Top 100 Trial Lawyers by The National Trial Lawyers, an invitation-only award that is made up of the most qualified lawyers in each state.
• Board Certified By the National Board of Trial Advocacy — Board certified in Civil Trial Advocacy and Civil Pretrial Practice Advocacy by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. Less than 4 percent of all practicing attorneys are certified by an American Bar Association accredited certification board.

Personal Injury Lawyer Aurora, IL – Cases We Have Won

Our Aurora, IL personal injury lawyers fight for the full rights and recoveries of our clients. We fight all who harm our clients, and we fight for a full recovery every time. Our firm is devoted to offering our clients amazing legal representation, and we take great pride in our well-deserved victories. Read about our case results for our personal injury clients below:

• $5 Million Settlement – Father Killed By Reckless Truck Driver
• $3 Million Judgment – Son Murdered by Pam Hupp
• $2.5 Million Settlement for Father’s Fatal Car Accident
• From $0 to $2 Million Car Accident Settlement
• $2 Million Settlement – Injured Woman Settles Highway Crash Lawsuit
• $1.435 Million Settlement For Deck Collapse That Injured Couple
• $1 Million Settlement to Family of Man with Sepsis Infection
• Medical Malpractice Case Settles for Over $1 Million
• $900,000 Medical Malpractice Settlement
• $765,000 Settlement After Fatal Collision
• $600,000 Tractor-Trailer Crash
• $600,000 Settlement – Widow in ATV Accident Settles with Property Owner
• Class Action $600,000 Settlement Against the State of Illinois
• $495,000 Uninsured Motorcycle Verdict
• $400,000 Settlement in Employment Discrimination Case
• $350,000 Settlement in Ladder Case

It is worth mentioning that every injury comes with its own set of circumstances, and the compensation you receive is going to depend on the circumstances of your claim. We calculate the full extent of your damages so that you secure what you are owed.

Burger Law Reviews

Beyond the videos below, you can check out more client testimonials here.

Definition of a Personal Injury Claim in Aurora, IL

Under Illinois and U.S. law, you have a right to file a personal injury claim to get a financial recovery for the injuries another person caused, and to hold wrongdoers accountable. The compensation you receive is intended to make you whole. The goal is to put you in the same position you were in before another person injured you.

In some cases, no lawyer or financial award can truly “put back” all the things you lost in an injury. While we can get compensation for medical bills, lost wages and other financial losses, other damages cannot truly be expressed through dollar signs. If you lost a loved one, you lost a limb, are disfigured or will have to live the rest of your life in chronic pain, no one can truly make that go away. What compassionate and skilled personal injury lawyers like those at Burger Law can do is ensure your injuries are recognized, and to provide you with relief from the financial losses resulting from your accident.

Is it Worth Hiring Personal Injury Lawyer in Aurora, IL?

While some cases can be successfully navigated without a lawyer, most of the time you will need one to ensure no money is left on the table in Aurora, IL. The important question is, will I get more money with them? If your medical expenses are low, you did not miss much time off work and the insurance company is being mostly fair, a lawyer might not be necessary. But, you should hire legal representation in Aurora, IL under the following circumstances:

• There is a dispute about who is at fault, or you are being blamed for your injuries
• The insurance company or liable party’s offer is well below the cost of your damages
• Your injuries are significant and require ongoing care
• There are multiple parties that is liable for your injuries
• Your damages exceed the liable policyholder’s policy limits

Our initial conversations and investigations are free, and we are always honest about how much we can help your claim. Our personal injury lawyers work on a contingency-fee basis, meaning you do not pay until we win your case, and we have no reason to accept you as a client if we do not think we can significantly increase your final payout.

What Do You Need to Prove to Win a Personal Injury Claim in Aurora, IL?

While the legal literature concerning negligence and liability can be hard to navigate, whether or not you can seek compensation depends on the answer to one specific question: were you injured because someone else was negligent? From a legal standpoint, you need to prove the five elements of negligence:

1. Duty of care — You first need to demonstrate that the liable party had an obligation to keep you safe. In some cases this is automatic, as Aurora, IL driver owe everyone else on the roads a duty of care, or store owners need their properties to be reasonable safe for anyone who legally enters. Other times, a unique relationship must have been agreed to, for example the relationship between a doctor and patient or between a vendor and a buyer.
2. Breach of duty — Did someone fail in that duty? Did a driver crash into you you because they were texting and driving? Did a doctor fail to diagnose a condition? Did a dog owner let their dog roam unleashed?
3. Causation — You must demonstrate how the accident led to your injuries. For example, you broke your arm when your car was t-boned, or had bad side effects from a prescription drug.
4. Proximate cause — This determines who ultimately is at fault. If you were rear ended, the liable party is usually the driver that hit you. But if the tires were faulty, a manufacturer or mechanic may be the one who is ultimately liable.
5. Damages — Lastly, you must demonstrate that you sustained some form of financial loss as a direct result of your injuries. In most cases damages are medical bills and wages you could not earn while you were not able to work. With access to your medical records, an attorney will be able to establish your financial losses with an insurance company. After proving economic damages, we can seek a financial recovery for the other ways your injuries have affected you.

If you have any doubts about the validity of your claim, speak to a lawyer in Aurora, IL who has won a similar claim before. Call a personal injury lawyer now at (779) 800-HURT.

What Are Common Personal Injury Case in Aurora, IL?

Practicing injury law in Aurora, IL mandates that your lawyers and firm know how liability laws apply to a wide range of cases. Knowing the difference between the laws and defendants applicable to different types of claims is paramount. A lawyer who only knows how to deal with car insurance companies may not have the experience to take on other cases. At Burger Law, we know how to hold the liable party accountable whenever negligence results in an injury. Cases we take on in Aurora and throughout Illinois include:

Auto Accidents

Research from the Bureau of Justice Statistics indicate that there are about 400,000 personal injury claims every year. Just over half of those are auto accident claims, including:

• Car Accidents
• Truck Accidents
• Motorcycle Accidents
• Bicycle Accidents
• Pedestrian Accidents

Truck accidents can be especially catastrophic because trucks emit an incredible amount of force, and motorcyclists, bicyclists and pedestrians are all at heightened risk of being severely injured as they do not have the same protection closed-vehicle occupants have. Under 625 ILCS 5/11-1003.1, anyone behind the wheel must “exercise due care” to avoid colliding with anybody or anything else on the Illinois roads. If a driver is negligent and you end up hurt, you have an auto accident claim against them.

Sometimes, a vehicle manufacturer, construction company or local municipality may be fully or partially to blame for your injuries. As part of our services, your Burger Law personal injury lawyer will perform a full investigation into your accident to find every liable party and hold them accountable.

Premises Liability

Property owners and managers have a responsibility to ensure their property is safe for people who are legally on it. If you sustain damages in a slip and fall because a property was unsafe, you can make a premises liability claim. 740 ILCS 130/, also referred to as the Illinois Premises Liability Act, stipulates that proprietors have a duty of care to people who lawfully enter their property that is “of reasonable care under the circumstances regarding the state of the premises or acts done or omitted on them.” Essentially, if there is a dangerous condition that is not obvious, the owner needs to either repair the condition, post signage or rope it off. Examples of a dangerous condition on a property include:

• Spills
• A recently mopped floor
• Broken concrete on a walkway
• Broken stairs
• Broken decks and balconies
• Potholes
• Overly steep inclines
• Ledges
• Poorly lit stairs and walking paths
• Icy or snow-covered concrete
• Wet concrete
• Debris such as litter, fallen leaves and branches, rocks, etc
• Rugs that are not flat
• Stray cords
• In-ground sprinklers or hardscape features hidden in the grass
• Absence of safety rails

You do not automatically have a claim just because a property had a dangerous condition. If you were in a part of a property you were not allowed to be, ignored warning signs, for example a “wet floor sign,” or were running or not behaving in a safe manner, it might be hard to get compensation. Successful premises liability claims depend on the following:

• The owner or manager created the dangerous conditions; or
• The owner or manager knew about the danger and failed to repair it; or
• The owner or manager tried to fix the condition and fixed it negligently; or
• The owner or manager should have known about the condition, either because it happens often, had been there for an extended length of time or due to other complaints

A property owner or insurance company in Aurora, IL may tell you they are not liable for your slip and fall injuries because they should not have been reasonable expected to repair or warn against the accident or because you are to blame. That is not true, and do not accept any settlement offer until you have spoken to a personal injury lawyer.

Medical Malpractice

Based on data from John Hopkins University, medical errors are responsible for over a quarter of a million deaths a year. While not every error amount to negligence, when it does, you can make a medical malpractice claim.

Proving a medical malpractice claim is based on what is called the standard of care. The standard refers to how a reasonable healthcare professional, in a specific field and specific location, would treat a specific condition.

Pursuant to 735 ILCS 5/2-622, any medical malpractice suit needs to be filed along with an affidavit from a health professional who:

• is knowledgeable in the relevant issues of the claim
• practices or teaches the same field as the doctor you are suing, or has practiced or taught in that field within the last six years
• is qualified to review the facts of your case, and determines your claim is “reasonable and meritorious”

It is vital that the health professional who writes the affidavit has the same training and practices in the same area as the health professional you are making a claim against. A thoracic surgeon in Chicago is held to a different standard of care than a pediatrician in Decorah, Iowa. Burger Law relies on numerous expert witnesses in Aurora and all over Illinois who can corroborate your claim.

Common examples of medical malpractice in Aurora, IL include:

• Nursing home negligence
• Birth injuries
• Misdiagnosis and failure to diagnosis
• Leaving objects in after surgery
• Hospital system errors
• Lack of consent
• Failing to order tests that a prudent doctor would
• Blowing off a patient’s complaints
• Not changing course when their treatment plan is not working
• Prescribing the wrong medication or the wrong dosage

Dog Bites

Every day, nearly 1,000 people seek emergency medical treatment for dog bites, and every year dog bites lead to about 12,600 hospitalizations. According to a Chicago Tribune article, Illinois is the second-highest dog bite state in the country.

510 ILCS 5/, the Illinois Animal Control Act, stipulates that a dog owner is strictly liable for your the injuries their dog causes, as long as there was no provocation and you were legally allowed to be where you were. “Strict liability” means that the owner is liable as a matter of law and you do not have to prove negligence. This means that the owner owes you a recovery regardless of how they acted.

While some dog bites are minor, others can lead to reconstructive surgeries or lifelong scarring. Regardless of the seriousness of your injuries, trust in a Burger Law Aurora, IL personal injury lawyer to secure you the maximum financial recovery you deserve.

Product Liability

Like dog owners, anyone in the chain of distribution of a product is strictly liable for the injuries a defective product causes. There are generally three theories a personal injury lawyer will use to make a product liability claim in Aurora, IL:

1. Design defect — This is a defect that occurs even if the product is manufactured correctly. This could include an SUV that is susceptible to rollover accidents, or a power tool whose safety guards do not prevent injuries.
2. Manufacturing defect — This type of defect affects several individual products instead of an entire line of products. Examples include a bug getting caught in a soda can, or a seatbelt with a loose screw that comes undone during impact.
3. Insufficient instructions — This refers to labeling that does not mention certain risks when the product is put to foreseeable use. For example, an electric shaver not mentioning that shock can occur if used in the shower.

In order to make a product liability claim, you must demonstrate that the product was “unreasonably dangerous” when it was used in a way a manufacturer could anticipate, that it was the proximate cause of injuries and that the product had not been “substantially” changed from its state at the initial sale.

Burger Law’s personal injury lawyers know how to get great results whenever a wrongdoer injured someone else. One of the benefits of choosing a Burger Law Aurora, IL personal injury lawyer is that we are not limited to any one type of claim, and have won your type of claim before. We understand that case types often overlap, and having experience with each type of claim gives our team the perfect understanding of how to fight for our clients’ rights and recoveries.

How Does the Personal Injury Claims Process Work in Aurora, IL?

The path to securing maximum compensation for your injuries starts the day you are injured. While some cases only take a few months, others can take several years before a jury finally renders a decision. From beginning to end, the path to getting compensation consists of:

• Seeking Medical Care — Get medical care immediately after an injury, and keep attending all treatments that your physician recommends. If you delay, it could bring complications to your claim, and not attending all your appointments will reduce your final payout. Our personal injury lawyers have a network of reliable Aurora, IL health professionals who can help you in your recovery.
• Discussing Your Case With an Attorney — Even if you are not sure you are going to need legal representation, you need to consult with one as soon as possible so they can become familiar with your case. A good lawyer will tell you bluntly what your legal recourses are.
• Investigation and Documentation — Once you have legal representation, your personal injury lawyer will perform a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding your injuries, determine every liable party and acquire the evidence needed for the best possible financial recovery. You should also keep a record of every dollar you have spent because of your injuries, and how keeping a journal detailing how your injuries have affected your life.
• Settlement Demand and Negotiations — Once we have determined the full extent of your damages, we will send a settlement demand package to those who are liable for compensating you. In the package we will include full documentation of all of your damages, and demand a financial recovery for all the ways your injuries have affected you. Most of the time, the insurance company will counter our offer with a lower number, and there will be several back-and-forths until they agree to pay for all of your damages.
• Filing a Lawsuit — If negotiations do not lead anywhere, we will file a lawsuit in court, which begins the formal process of your claim going to trial. During this time, we will continue negotiating in an effort to avoid a trial.
• Mediation — If a settlement agreement still has not been reached, your personal injury lawyer and the liable party will likely pursue mediation. In mediation, an objective third party will try to get each party to accept the merits of the other side’s arguments.
• Pre-Trial — If mediation still does not result in a fair settlement, we will go into the pre-trial “discovery” phase. In discovery, we will speak to eyewitnesses and expert witnesses, acquire more evidence and share with and request documentation with the other side.
• Trial — Only six percent of personal injury claims go to trial. In fact, many times we have gotten the settlement we were seeking in the weeks immediately before trial. However, if the insurance company still cannot see reason, we will fight for your compensation in court. Trial consists of:
  • Voir dire
  • Opening statements
  • Testimony and cross-examination
  • Closing arguments
  • Jury instruction
  • Jury deliberation and verdict

Most people who speak with our Aurora, IL personal injury lawyers have never been through the personal injury claims process before, and do not know what to expect. Burger Law will be by your side every step of the way, be there to answer all of your questions and oversee all documentation, negotiation and litigation so you can focus on your physical recovery.

What Types of Compensation Are Available in My Aurora, IL Personal Injury Claim?

In general, there are two types of compensation available in a personal injury claim: economic damages and non-economic damages:

• Economic damages compensate you for the economic harm related to your injuries, for instance:
  • Lost wages
  • Lost earning capacity if your injuries do not allow you to earn a living as you used to
  • Medical costs, past and future
  • Out-of-pocket expenses
• Non-economic damages compensate you for the less tangible aspects of your injuries, such as:
  • Pain and suffering
  • Stress and anxiety
  • Loss of ability to enjoy life
  • Scarring and disfigurement
  • Inconvenience
  • Physical impairment
  • Loss of consortium

Sometimes, we may also be able to pursue punitive damages if the liable harmed you intentionally or they were grossly negligent. Examples can include a drunk driver, or a doctor who performs surgery after drinking. While punitive damages do not apply to most personal injury claims, your Burger Law personal injury lawyer will pursue every legal avenue We can to get you the best possible financial recovery.

What Is the Statute of Limitations for Personal Injury Claims in Aurora, IL?

In Illinois, the statute of limitations is relatively short at two years for most personal injury claims, under 735 ILCS 5/. That means the clock starts ticking when your accident occurs, and expires after two years. However, there are three notable exceptions:

1. If you were under 18 when the injury occurred, you have until your 20th birthday.
2. If you were under a “legal disability” when the injury occurred, you have two years from the date the disability was “removed.”
3. In medical malpractice cases, you have two years from the date you discovered the injury or could reasonably have been expected to discover the injury. No medical malpractice claim can be made more than four years after the injury occurred, unless you were a minor at the time. Then you would have until four years after your 18th birthday.

While two years may not cause immediate concern, your attorney will want as much time as possible to build your case. Do not wait to contact an attorney. Call a personal injury lawyer today at (779) 800-HURT.

Other cases we win in Aurora, IL include:

• Survival Action Lawyer in Illinois
• Truck Crash Lawyers in Illinois
• Wrongful Death Lawyers in Illinois
• Semi-Truck Accident Lawyer in Illinois
• Car Accident Attorney in Illinois

Speak to Personal Injury Lawyer in Aurora, IL Now

Burger Law’s Aurora, IL personal injury lawyers fiercely believe in zealous representation. That means we start working for your recovery the moment you hire us, pursue every legal option we have, stand up to insurance companies on your behalf and do not let down until you get the maximum compensation you deserve. We only give our clients the highest level of legal advocacy; all of our advice will be sincere and in your best interest, but we always leave the ultimate decisions on your claim to you and your Aurora, IL family. You do not have to pay for someone else’s careless actions. To start on your road to true recovery, call a Burger Law Aurora, IL personal injury lawyer now at (779) 800-HURT or contact us online for a free consultation.