Car accident attorneys in DuPage County, IL. The physical, motional and financial damages you sustain because of being injured in a car accident are staggering. You need a fierce motor accident attorney to fight for you to be made whole again. Call Burger Law‘s car accident attorneys today at (314) 500-HURT or fill out our online contact form for a complimentary case evaluation.
If you were injured in a car accident in DuPage County, IL see how much your claim may be worth by completing our free personal injury calculator.
You have been injured in a car accident and now you are wondering what to do. If you are not sure, you are not alone. You may be unsure what the best treatment options are for you, how to file a claim and if there is anything else you can do to make sure that you get justice for your injuries. Call the police, then get medical attention. Then call Burger Law.
When a negligent driver injures you, you should be focused on healing and getting your life back on track. Your compensation should be guaranteed and taken care of, but unfortunately, this is not always the case. If the responsible party has no intention of doing right by you, you need a competent and aggressive attorney to fight by your side. The DuPage County, IL car accident lawyers of Burger Law take car accident claims extremely seriously and are devoted to getting you the money you rightfully deserve.
We know it seems like the whole world is against you. Speak to a lawyer at (314) 500-HURT or fill out our online form now. Our auto accident law firm, does not charge you until you have your settlement check or verdict in hand, and we always fight to ensure our clients get 100 percent of the recovery they need. Do not settle for less than you are owed.
DuPage County, IL Car Accident Attorneys That Win
In any type of legal action, results matter. You want to have full confidence in your lawyer’s abilities, and that they will not back down until you get the maximum compensation you deserve. A personal injury lawyer saying they are the best is one thing; a lawyer with client testimonials and results that can prove it is another. Click the links below to read about some of our recent victories:
Steps to Take After a Car Accident in DuPage County, IL
Car Accidents can be traumatizing. It is imperative to take the right steps after an accident, however, it can be hard to make the right choices when you are still in shock from the accident. The following are the steps you should take both immediately following a car wreck, and in the ensuing weeks:
Get to safety if you can — The rule of thumb is, if you and your car can both move, pull over to the side of the road. If not, stay where you are. If you are seriously injured and cannot move, wait for emergency personnel to arrive, as trying to move can make your injury worse. Assess whether anyone else in the vehicle is hurt. Render aid if you are able and know how to.
Call 911 or a police non-emergency line — If someone needs EMTs and/or an ambulance, always call 911. If not, call for police so they can interview you and the other driver and make their report. Police have the training and experience to assign blame in an accident and a police report is a key piece of evidence. If you do not know if you require emergency services or not, always call 911 and let the operator decide how to proceed.
Exchange information with other driver — After it is safe to do so, exit your vehicle and get the other driver’s information. Make sure to get a copy of their insurance card and their contact info. If the other driver says it was their fault, ask a few more questions to see if they will offer up how they are liable. You do not need to feel like you are going to have a heated discussion, you are just asking for information.
Never admit fault — When talking to the other driver or the police, you can offer a short, clear description of how things occurred as you saw them. But never admit fault. There may be contributing factors you are not immediately aware of, and admitting fault will make it very hard to seek a compensation.
Obtain evidence from the scene — Take pictures of all the vehicles involved and the road, including any skid marks or property damage to nearby structures. If there are eyewitnesses, get their contact information so they can back up your story down the road.
Seek out medical attention — If you did not need an ambulance, go to an emergency room immediately after an accident or later that day, or see your general practitioner as soon as you can. Medical treatment is not only necessary so you can heal, but you will need proof of an injury and your treatment to get compensation for your injuries.
Speak to DuPage County, IL car accident attorneys — If you were injured because of another driver, chances are you will need to an attorney to fight for you to get the full recovery you are owed. Ask them a series of questions, such as what their fee structure is, if they have won your type of case before, what they think the value of your injuries is and if they are willing to go to trial if they have to.
Do not skip out on medical treatment — Get the full medical treatment you need to recover, whether that includes surgery, physical therapy or chiropractic appointments. You need to do this not only so you can reach maximum medical improvement, but will lead to a greater recovery as your pain and suffering damages will be higher. You read about how pain and suffering is calculated here.
Burger Law has helped hundreds of injured parties in DuPage County and throughout Illinois navigate the confusing aftermath of a car accident claim. Get in touch with our car accident attorneys immediately at (314) 500-HURT if you have any concerns about how to proceed with your claim.
What Kind of Hurdles Are There In DuPage County, IL Car Accident Claims?
In a perfect society, you would not have to fight to get the compensation you deserve. But, unfortunately, it is not uncommon to see that complications come up and the insurance adjuster refuses to fulfill their obligation to compensate you. A few of the issues our car accident attorneys see on a daily basis in DuPage County, IL include:
The other driver was uninsured —Illinois has minimum insurance requirements for all motorists. But not everyone actually pays for it, and that can cause doubt about how to proceed. Our car accident attorneys have filed hundreds of uninsured motorist claims in the event that a negligent driver does not have insurance . However, your own insurance company may be just as unfair to you as someone else’s – an attorney is usually still required to stand up to the insurance company and get you what you deserve.
The insurance policy does not cover your full damages — Depending on the policyholder’s policy limits, they may not have sufficient to fully compensate you. If your damages exceed the at-fault driver’s policy limits, we can pursue a underinsured motorist claim on your own policy. We can also look for other insurance policies that may cover your accident.
The other driver denies fault — There are some reckless people out there who do not want to admit when they broke the rules. If the other driver is trying to blame you for the accident, we will gather evidence and take sworn depositions to demonstrate how the other driver caused your injuries.
The insurance company will not to be fair —Insurance adjusters utilize a lot of tricks to avoid paying out claims, and most times an attorney is needed to get them to be honest. If they continue to lowball you after our settlement demand package, we will not hesitate file a lawsuit, proceed to discovery and start getting ready to present your case to a jury. Often, simply the presence of tough and experienced trial car accident attorneys like those at Burger Law is enough to get the insurance company to make an offer that is truly fair; they know they will lose if we go to court. Many high settlements are offered on the eve of trial.
Our car accident attorneys know that you should not have to wait to get the financial recovery you deserve. However, if you have a more complicated case and the other side does not want to do the right thing, we we will defend your rights at trial. We do not stop fighting for our DuPage County, IL clients until they are compensated. There is not type of car accident claim we have not seen before.
Car Accident Attorneys in DuPage County, IL — Resources for The Injured
Our team has literally written the book on car accidents claims, which you can download below, read through to have a better understanding of how to proceed. You can also check out our FAQs and legal glossary for more information.
Causes and Types of Car Accidents in DuPage County, IL
Each car accident is unique, and they can happen for any reason, at any time or place. However, most causes and types of accidents can be broken down into a number of distinct categories. Some examples are:
Backup Accidents — Based on research from the National Safety Council, 25% of collisions can be blamed on poor backing techniques, and those collisions are responsible for more than 500 fatalities and 15,000 injuries annually, many of them to pedestrians.If someone else backed into your vehicle, the insurance adjuster will likely assume that you are to blame, as the vast majority of rear to front accidents are the fault of the rear driver. Experienced car accident attorneys will be able to prove the other driver’s negligence.
Carpool and Rideshare Accidents — In general, accidents involving drivers from companies like Uber or Lyft are not substantially different from most auto accidents. However, while policy limits tend to be higher, there may be multiple parties at fault including the company, driver and a third party driver. A car accident lawyer will stand up for you and defend your rights.
Fatal Car Crashes — There is no nightmare once can face than having someone you love taken away too soon. While no lawyer can bring back your loved one, a wrongful death claim can bring a sense of recognition, and ease the financial burden their loss placed on you.
Head-on Collisions — Head-on collisions are especially dangerous because both vehicles are going fast, and the driver and front passenger are exposed to flying glass and debris. They make up just two percent of all car accidents, but are responsible for 10 percent of all driving fatalities. In addition to fatalities, they can lead to horrible injuries.
Intersection Accidents — According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administrations’s report on intersection-related crashes, four out of 10 traffic accidents happen at intersections. Intersection accidents are often caused by drivers not paying attention and drunk driving and failure to yield.
Multi-Vehicle Accidents — Multi-vehicle accidents are often “chain reaction” accidents where more than one driver is to blame. Everyone’s insurance company will try to blame someone else. Burger Law’s DuPage County, IL car accident attorneys will prove how each negligent driver contributed to your injuries.
Road Construction Accidents — Construction companies are obligated to ensure their construction zones are safe for drivers, including having sufficient warning zones and that cones are placed to keep drivers out of dangerous areas. In addition to another driver, we can sue a construction company if they were negligent and their negligence injured you.
Burger Law’s DuPage County, IL car accident attorneys have seen claims involving any conditions and circumstances imaginable — and won them. We know how to investigate accident cases and prove liability on the part of the negligent driver.
How Is Compensation Calculated in DuPage County, IL Car Accident Claims?
Financial recoveries in car accident claims generally compensate you for two things: economic damages, such as medical expenses and lost wages, and non-economic damages, such as pain and suffering and mental stress A knowledgeable car accident attorney like those at Burger Law know how to calculate the full extent of someone’s damages. We will make sure the other side understands just how much their negligence has affected you, and demand they compensate you for all of it.
To calculate your damages, we first need to total all of your economic damages. This includes:
Money lost from time spent off work recovering and lost earning potential
Any medical appointments, surgeries, proscriptions and/or evaluations
Assistive devices such as braces
Medical costs you might incur in the future, such as additional surgeries, replacement wheelchairs, or eventual replacement of artificial joints
Out-of-pocket expenses like a nanny if your injuries prevented you from caring for your children for a time
In the event of future economic damages, we consult with economic experts to value how much those will cost in the future, and include estimated inflation in our settlement demand package.
After knowing the full extent of your economic damages, we will put a monetary value on the less tangible ways your life has been affected. Most often, your attorney will use the “multiplier method,” multiplying your economic damages by a factor between 1.5 and five.
For example, if you have $30,000 in economic damages, and your injuries caused you extreme discomfort for two weeks, your car accident attorney might decide your economic damages should be multiplied by three. Therefore:$30,000 X 3 = $90,000
Get a Free Consultation
We offer free consultations and are available 24/7 to take your call. Live chat, text, and virtual meetings are available.
Three is used most frequently, and multipliers of four and five are usually reserved for more serious injuries that greatly affect someone’s physical comfort, state of mind and their independence.
What Kind of Things Affect How Much My Claim Is Worth?
The more your injuries affect your life both financially and personally, the more your financial recovery will be. Things that increase or decrease your compensation include:
The extent of your injuries
The extent of your medical care, and if you will have more medical expenses down the road
If your injuries resulted in scarring or disability
Your wage loss damages
If you can no longer earn a living as you used to and have lost earning capacity damages
If your injuries affected your quality of life and independence
If you bear partial responsibility for your accident
Often, insurance adjusters try to devalue claims through a variety of tricks and dishonest tactics. We fight back against bullies so they know that will not work. In our more than 30 years of experience standing up to people who do not want to do the right thing, and to date have recovered over $200 million for our clients.
How Long Do I Have to File a Car Accident Claim in DuPage County, IL?
Each state sets its own rules for how long to have a claim. Pursuant to 735 ILCS 5/13-202, Illinois’ is shorter than most other states at just two years. There are three important exceptions:
If you are making a wrongful death claim for the loss of a loved one, you have two years from the date of that loved one’s death – not not from, when the crash occurred.
If you or your loved one was a minor when the accident occurred, you have two years from their 18th birthday.
If you or your loved one was under a “legal disability” at the time of the accident, you have two years from the date the disability was removed. If you came under a legal disability after you were injured but within the two-year time limit, that time does not count against the statute of limitations. In Illinois, “legal disability” means:
Someone who, either by mental or physical impairment, is not able to manage their person or estate
A person with a mental illness or developmental disability that keeps them from managing their person or estate
Someone who, because of “gambling, idleness, debauchery or excessive use of alcohol or drugs,” cannot manage their estate to the extent that it causes them or their family to “want or suffer”
Two years is not as long as it sounds. Do not hesitate to call a car accident attorney immediately. If you are wondering if any of the exceptions apply to you, speak to an attorney at Burger Law today at (314) 500-HURT to go over your case in detail.
Other cases we handle in DuPage County, IL include:
Speak to Our DuPage County, IL Car Accident Attorneys Today
Burger Law’s car accident attorneys are dedicated to getting each of our DuPage County, IL clients the best possible results in their claims. You did not want to be put in this situation, and you should not have to pay simply because someone else was negligent. We will stand by your side throughout the duration of your claim. To start on your true road to recovery, call Burger Law‘s car accident attorneys today at (314) 500-HURT or complete our online form for a complimentary consultation.
This law firm is absolutely amazing. They took on my case, when nobody else would! They fought hard for me when it seemed there was no hope. They kept me informed and always asked for my input before making decisions on my case. Gary puts himself into every case unlike most law firm owners. Gary and his team really care about every one of their clients, and fights hard to get you a fair settlement. They actually won my case out of court, and then reduced my fees to make sure I could get my car fixed and be able to get back to some normality. I would recommend Burger Law over and above any other firm! If you go somewhere else you aren’t getting the best!
Shaunda S.
7 months ago
I am very happy with the staff at Burger Law. I mostly worked with Michael Sheldon, and he did an amazing job. I trusted him completely with my case, and he did not disappoint. I would definitely recommend this team if your ever in need of good attorneys.
Emelia M.
3 months ago
Burger Law Firm is fantastic. Laura and Genevieve were so amazing and helpful throughout the entire process. They helped me with my personal injury case every step of the way and succeeded at getting me the results I desired.
Helen L.
a year ago
We had a great experience with Burger Law for representing us after a serious car accident. Truly impressed by how professional and supportive the entire team is. And, many thanks to Genavieve and Laura – you are amazing!
Judy M.
a year ago
They did an amazing job on my case! Communication with them was great!!! Kept me informed and in the loop with everything that was going on!!! Will definitely be the 1st ones I’ll call if ever I’m in another accident!!! Thank you very much!!!
Chelsea C.
5 months ago
Let me tell you something about Burger Law.. they are so attentive and kind. Jennifer is my savior!! I love the whole team!!! They are truly a miracle team!! I appreciate their business and would recommend it to others.
David D.
2 months ago
Absolutely the best law firm in the St. Louis area. No matter the size of your case you are treated as if you are the only client on the roster. Will explain anything thoroughly and they work around your availability. Very impressed and appreciative of the service.
Lisa B.
11 months ago
Gary and Casey took great care of me for 2.5 years as my lawsuit was finally settled. I feel he helped me achieve justice for me and my 4 children after their father died from medical malpractice and neglect. Thanks to Gary, my kids now have a great start to their college and adult lives. Thank you Gary and Casey, for fighting for us so hard at our most trying and difficult time in our lives thus far. Love and God bless from my family to yours!
Genevieve and Laura have assisted me in my personal injury claim and have made the process so much less stressful. They are extremely knowledgeable, professional, and attentive. Laura is always on top of everything and very sweet. I had no idea how to navigate this process and they have made me feel at ease and like they truly cared about the outcome.
Cara Barton
It has been a long 4 years, but it is finally over! Burger law did a great job handling my case. Grant Doty answered all my questions, promptly returned my phone calls, frequently kept me updated and insured me that he was fighting for me. Jennifer Zini also did a wonderful job, great customer service. It was pleasure getting to know the Burger Law team!
S. Alred
After a driver unexpectedly pulled out right in front of my motorcycle & I suffered injuries, the at-fault driver’s insurance company offered me a $10,000 settlement. I hired Burger Law & they won a $109,000 settlement. I was very happy with the outcome. They were easy to work with & fully explained each step of the process & kept me informed along the way.
At Burger Law | St. Louis Personal Injury Lawyer, we are a team of personal injury attorneys who have earned many distinctions and peer-reviewed awards for our civil litigation and trial work in Missouri and Illinois. A few of the honors we have earned include the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, Top 100 Trial Lawyer Award, a Martindale-Hubbell AV rating, Super Lawyers selection as one of the top attorneys in the field of personal injury and board certifications in Civil Litigation.
Personal injury lawyers who demand justice in Southern Illinois. The role of a personal injury lawyer in Southern Illinois should be more than just getting you a great settlement…
This page has been written, edited, and reviewed by a team of legal writers following our comprehensive editorial guidelines. This page was approved by Founding Partner, Gary Burger who has more than 30 years of legal experience as a practicing personal injury trial attorney. Gary’s robust legal knowledge is recognized by his peers as demonstrated by his industry awards and frequent Continuing Legal Education (CLE) lectures.
NO FEES UNTIL WE WIN YOUR CASE
Get a Free Case Evaluation
We offer free consultations and are available 24/7 to take your call. Live chat, text, and virtual meetings are available.