PROTECTING YOUR RIGHTS WHEN YOU A LOVED ONE ARE INJURED
Car Accident Attorneys in Machesney Park, IL
Car accident attorneys in Machesney Park, IL. The physical, mental and economic damages that result from being injured in a car accident are staggering. You need an experienced Machesney Park, IL car accident lawyer that you can trust to be made whole again. Speak to Burger Law‘s car accident attorneys now at (779) 800-HURT or contact us online for a complimentary case evaluation.
If a careless driver injured you in Machesney Park, IL see what compensation you may be eligible for by filling out 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 might not be certain what the best treatment options are for you, how to file a claim and how to secure the sense of justice you deserve. 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 to the way it was before the accident. Your compensation should be guaranteed and taken care of, but unfortunately, this is not always the case. If the responsible party refuses to do the right thing, you need a competent and aggressive attorney to fight on your behalf. The Machesney Park, IL car accident lawyers of Burger Law take car accident claims extremely seriously and are dedicated to getting you the money you rightfully deserve.
You deserve to have an exceptional team fight for your rights during your car accident claim. Speak to an attorney at (779) 800-HURT or complete our online form now. Our auto accident law firm, does not take any fees until we successfully win your claim, and we never accept anything but full compensation. Never agree to a settlement offer that is not what you genuinely deserve.
Machesney Park, IL Car Accident Attorneys With a Proven Track Record of Victories
In any type of legal action, the outcome matters. You want to know that you are giving your case to the best possible lawyer, and that they will not back down until you get the full compensation you are owed. Any car accident lawyer can say they will fight for you, but not all of them can prove it. Click the links below to read about some of our auto crash results:
Steps to Take After a Car Accident in Machesney Park, IL
Car Accidents can be traumatizing. It is imperative to take the right steps after an accident, however, a lot of people have never had to go through the injury claims process before. Below what you need to do both right after a car wreck to ensure both a successful physical recovery and the success of your claim:
Get to the side of the road if possible — The rule of thumb is, if you and your car can both move, pull over to the side of the road. If not, do not move. 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 for emergency medical assistance, or a non-emergency line for police — If someone needs emergency medical care, call 911 immediately. Either way, call a non-emergency line and request for police to come so they can make a report. Police know how to ascertain negligence in an accident and their report is a crucial 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 — Once you can do so safely, exit your vehicle and get the other driver’s information. Make sure to get a copy of their insurance card and their insurance information. If the other driver says it was their fault, ask some follow-up questions to see if they will admit how they were negligent. You do not need to feel like you are going to have a heated discussion, you are just trying to find out what happened.
DO NOT admit liability — In conversations with police, the other driver and an insurance company, you can give a short, clear description of events as you saw them. But never say it was your fault. There may be details you are not immediately aware of, and admitting fault will make it very hard to seek a compensation.
Collect evidence from the scene — Take pictures of both vehicles and the surrounding area, including any tire marks or property damage to nearby structures. If any bystanders saw the crash, get their contact information so they can corroborate your version of events when you make a claim.
Seek out medical care — If you did not need an ambulance, get to urgent care quickly, or make an appointment with your primary care physician in the day or days after the accident. Medical care is not only necessary to ensure you recover physically, but you will need proof of an injury and your treatment to get compensation for your injuries.
Consult with Machesney Park, 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, for example how they accept payment, if they have won your type of case before, what they think the value of your injuries is and if they are ready to fight for you in front of a judge and jury.
Go to every medical appointment you need to — Get the full medical treatment you need to recover, whether that includes surgery, physical rehabilitation or spinal adjustments with a chiropractor. 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 can learn more about how pain and suffering is calculated on our blog.
Most people in Machesney Park, IL have never had to make a auto accident claim before, and we help guide them through the entire process. Get in touch with our car accident attorneys now at (779) 800-HURT if you have any questions about how to proceed with your claim.
What Kind of Issues Arise In Machesney Park, IL Car Accident Claims?
Ideally, you would not have to fight to get the compensation you deserve. But, unfortunately, it is not uncommon to see that there are difficulties that arise and the insurance adjuster refuses to do the right thing. A few of the problems our car accident attorneys see most frequently in Machesney Park, IL include:
The negligent driver was uninsured —Illinois requires drivers to have at least minimum liability insurance coverage. But not everyone actually pays for it, and you may be left wondering where to turn. Our car accident attorneys have filed hundreds of uninsured motorist claims for our clients against their own insurance companies . However, filing a claim is not made easier because it is the insurance company you have been paying into – an attorney is usually still required to stand up to the insurance company and get you what you deserve.
The negligent party does not have enough insurance — Depending on the policyholder’s policy limits, they may not have sufficient to fully compensate you. If are owed more money than what’s on the at-fault driver’s policy limits, we can make a underinsured motorist claim against your own insurance. Sometimes, we can discover further insurance the other driver has that your accident falls under.
The negligent party will not admit doing anything wrong — There are some reckless people out there who do not want to take responsibility for their actions. If the other driver is trying to pin your injuries on you or somebody else, we will conduct a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding your accident and take depositions of all parties – under oath – so the question of their liability is no longer in doubt.
The insurance company is offering something far below a fair settlement —Insurance adjusters use a lot of tricks to avoid paying out claims, and you will need an attorney to fight back against them. If they still will not be fair after they receive our settlement demand letter, we will not hesitate bring a claim against them in court, 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 not get a favorable outcome if they make us go in front of a judge and jury. We have gotten a lot of great settlements on the eve of trial.
Our car accident attorneys always try to settle a case as soon as possible. However, if there are issues at play 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 Machesney Park, IL clients until they are compensated. There is not type of car accident claim we have not seen before.
Car Accident Attorneys in Machesney Park, IL — Resources for The Injured
Our founder and principle 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.
Most Common Types of Car Accidents in Machesney Park, IL
No two car accidents are exactly alike, but they generally happen under similar circumstances. Those include:
Backup Accidents — Based on research from the National Safety Council, one out of four accidents can be blamed on improper backing techniques, and those accidents cause more than 500 fatalities and 15,000 injuries each year, many of them to children in parking lots.If someone else backed into you or your car, the insurance company will likely assume that you are at fault, as most rear to front accidents are the fault of the second driver. Experienced car accident attorneys can find the evidence needed to prove the front 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, carpool companies have more insurance coverage, 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 nothing as tragic as having someone you love taken away by a negligent driver. While no lawyer can bring back your loved one, a wrongful death claim can deliver a sense of recognition, and cover the finances related to their funeral and the loss of a provider.
Head-on Collisions — Head-on collisions are particularly dangerous because both cars are usually moving at full speed, and the driver and front passenger are exposed to flying glass and debris. They account for just two percent of all traffic accidents, but are responsible for one out of 10 traffic-related deaths. Beyond fatalities, they can lead to incredibly serious injuries.
Multi-Vehicle Accidents — Multi-vehicle accidents are often “chain reaction” accidents where more than one driver is at fault. Because of that, each driver’s insurance will try to point the finger at the others. Burger Law’s Machesney Park, IL car accident attorneys will ensure that every liable party is held accountable.
Road Construction Accidents — Construction companies have a responsibility to take steps to ensure their construction sites are safe for drivers, including having adequate warning zones and that dangerous locations are cordoned off. In addition to a negligent driver, we can sue a construction company if they failed in that duty and you ended up injured.
Burger Law’s Machesney Park, 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 how the other party injured you.
How Is Compensation Calculated in Machesney Park, IL Car Accident Claims?
Your compensation is intended to reimburse you for two kinds of damages: economic damages, such as your cost of treatment and lost wages, and non-economic damages, commonly called pain and suffering A knowledgeable car accident attorney like those at Burger Law know how to calculate every dollar someone is owed. We will demand justice in your case.
To calculate your damages, we first need to total all of your economic damages. This includes:
Lost wages and lost earning potential
Any medical appointments, surgeries, medications and/or testing
Assistive devices such as crutches
Future medical expenses, such as additional surgeries, replacement assistive devices, or eventual replacement of artificial joints
In the event of future economic damages, we consult with economic experts to value how much those will cost in the future, and adjust our settlement demand to incorporate expected inflation.
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. Typically, your attorney will use the “multiplier method,” multiplying your economic damages by a number between 1.5 and five.
For instance, if you have $30,000 in economic damages, and your injuries caused you to be in pain for a month or more, your car accident attorney might demand a multiplier of three. Therefore:
$30,000 X 3 = $90,000
Your final compensation would be calculated as $120,000.
Most claims use a multiplier of three, and higher multipliers are usually only for catastrophic or long-lasting injuries.
What Kind of Things Affect How Much My Claim Is Worth?
The more your injuries affect your life financially, emotionally and physically, 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 mental or physical impairment
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 will not let them get away with that. In over 30 years of experience fighting back against people who do not want to do the right thing, and to date have secured over $200 million for our clients.
What Is the Statute Of Limitations For Car Accident Claims in Machesney Park, IL?
Each state has its own statute of limitations for injury claims. According to 735 ILCS 5/13-202, Illinois’ is shorter than most other states at just two years. There are three notable exceptions:
For wrongful death claims 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 until their 20th 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 than accident but before the statute of limitations elapsed, 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 may sound like a long time, but the clock starts ticking the second your accident happens. 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 (779) 800-HURT to go over your case in detail.
Other claims we handle in Machesney Park, IL include:
Speak to Our Machesney Park, IL Car Accident Attorneys Today
Burger Law’s car accident attorneys are dedicated to getting each of our Machesney Park, 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 broke the rules. 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 now at (779) 800-HURT or complete our online contact form for a free 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.
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