Car accident attorneys in Waukegan, IL. The physical, motional and economic damages you sustain because of being injured in a car accident can be staggering. You need a knowledgeable Waukegan, IL car accident lawyer on your side to to truly recover from every way that your injuries have affected you. Call Burger Law‘s car accident attorneys today at (312) 500-HURT or contact us online for a no-risk, no-obligation case review.
If you were injured in a car accident in Waukegan or anywhere in Illinois see how much your claim may be worth by using our free personal injury calculator.
It is hard to know what to do after somebody crashes into you. You might not be certain how to get the right medical care, what the process for filing a claim is and how to secure the sense of justice you deserve. Call the police, then get medical attention. Then call Burger Law.
When you have been injured in a car accident, you should be focused on recovering from your injuries 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 the right thing, you need someone who knows the laws to fight by your side. The Waukegan, IL car accident lawyers of Burger Law take car accident claims extremely seriously and are committed to getting you the money you rightfully deserve.
You deserve to have an outstanding team fight for your rights during your car accident claim. Call a lawyer at (312) 500-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 always fight to ensure our clients get 100 percent of the recovery they need. Never agree to a settlement offer that is not what you genuinely deserve.
Waukegan, IL Car Accident Attorneys That Win
In any kind of tort action, the outcome matters. You want to have full confidence in your lawyer’s abilities, and that they will not back down until you get 100 percent of the recovery and compensation you are owed. A personal
Car Accidents are traumatic events. 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. The following are the steps you should take both right after an accidentto make sure you recover both physically and financially:
Get to safety if possible — If you can move and your car is working, get out of the way of oncoming traffic. If your car is not working, activate its emergency lights and wait until its safe for you to walk to the side of the road. If you are seriously injured and cannot move, wait for emergency personnel to arrive, as trying to move can make your injury worse. Look to see if anyone else involved in the crash is injured. Render aid if you can.
Call 911 or a police non-emergency line — If someone needs EMTs and/or an ambulance, call 911 immediately. If not, call for police so they can interview you and the other driver and make their report. Police are trained to assign liability in a crash and a police report is invaluable when making a claim. If you do not know if you require emergency services or not, always call 911 and let the operator decide if your accident is an emergency.
Talk to the other driver — Once you can do so safely, communicate with the other driver. Take a picture of their license and insurance information. If the other driver apologizes, ask some follow-up questions to see if they will offer up how they were negligent. You do not have to be confrontational, you are just asking for information.
DO NOT admit liability — When talking to the other driver or the police, you can offer a concise description of how things occurred from your point of view. But never admit fault. There may be details you do not know yet, 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 back up your story down the road.
Seek out medical care — If you did not need an ambulance, get to urgent care quickly, or make an appointment with your doctor 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.
Call Waukegan, IL car accident attorneys — If you were injured in an auto accident, it is more likely than not that you will need to an attorney to fight for you to get the full recovery you are owed. Write down a list of questions beforehand, such as what their fee structure is, if they they have experience with similar types of accident, what they think the value of your claim 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 rehabilitation or chiropractic appointments. This is important not only so you can achieve maximum medical improvement, but can get the full extent of your damages once pain and suffering is taken into account. You read about how pain and suffering is calculated here.
Most people in Waukegan, IL have never had to make a personal injury claim before, and we help guide them through the entire process. Speak to our car accident attorneys today at (312) 500-HURT if you have any doubts about what the next steps are after an accident.
What Kind of Hurdles Are There In Waukegan, IL Car Accident Claims?
In a perfect world, the negligent driver would have enough coverage and the willingness to fairly compensate you for your injuries. But, unfortunately, it is not uncommon to see that there are difficulties that arise and the other side refuses to do the right thing. A few of the issues our car accident attorneys see on a daily basis in Waukegan, IL are:
The other driver was uninsured —Illinois has minimum insurance requirements for all drivers. But not everyone actually pays for it, and you may be left wondering where to turn. Our car accident attorneys now how to file uninsured motorist claims for our clients against their own insurance companies . However, your own insurance company may be just as unfair to you as someone else’s – you still need a lawyer to fight for your rights.
The other driver is uninsured — 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 on your own policy. Sometimes, we can uncover further insurance the other driver has that your accident falls under.
The negligent party denies doing anything wrong — There are some reckless people out there who refuse to admit when they broke the rules. If the other driver will not admit fault, we will conduct a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding your accident and take depositions of all parties – under oath – to demonstrate how the other driver caused your injuries.
The insurance company is trying to lowball you —Insurance adjusters utilize numerous different tricks to devalue claims, and usually an attorney is needed to get them to be honest. If they still will not be fair after we send a settlement demand package, we will not hesitate file a lawsuit, litigate the case and prepare to present your case to a jury. Often, once they know our car accident attorneys are on the case, it is only a matter of time before they give in to our demands; they know they will lose if they make us go in front of a judge and jury. Many high settlements are offered on the eve of trial.
Our car accident attorneys always try to settle a case quickly. However, if you have a more complicated case and the other side does not want to see reason, we we will defend your rights at trial. We fight for our Waukegan, IL clients until there is nothing left to fight. We know how to apply the law to injury claims and get our clients the recoveries they need to be made whole again.
Car Accident Attorneys in Waukegan, IL — Resources to Help With Your Car Accident Claim
Our team has literally written the book on mistakes people make in auto accident claims, which you can download below, read through to understand your case better. You can also see our FAQs and legal glossary to better understand the claims process.
Causes and Types of Car Accidents in Waukegan, 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 data from the National Safety Council, one out of four crashes occur because of improper backing procedures, and those crashes are responsible for over 500 deaths and 15,000 injuries every year, many of them to pedestrians.If someone else backed into you or your car, the insurance company will probably fight back against your claim, as the rear driver is almost always liable in rear to front accidents. Skilled car accident attorneys will be able to prove the front driver’s negligence.
Carpool and Rideshare Accidents — Uber or Lyft accidents themselves are not too different from any other auto accident. However, while policy limits tend to be higher, when making a claim you will have to battle against a large insurance company instead of a single adjuster. A car accident lawyer can help level the playing field.
Fatal Car Crashes — There is no nightmare once can face than having someone you love taken away too soon. While nothing can replace your loss, a wrongful death claim can deliver a feeling of justice, and ease the financial burden their loss placed on you.
Head-on Collisions — Head-on collisions are especially dangerous because both cars are usually moving at full speed, and the driver and front passenger are susceptible to debris and going through the windshield. They account for just two percent of all auto accidents, but are responsible for 10 percent of all traffic-related deaths. In addition to fatalities, they can lead to catastrophic injuries.
Intersection Accidents — According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administrations’s report on intersection-related crashes, 40 percent of all traffic accidents happen at intersections. Intersection accidents are often caused by drivers not paying attention and drunk driving and illegal U-turns.
Multi-Vehicle Accidents — Sometimes there are “chain reaction” accidents where more than one driver is negligent. Everyone’s insurance company will try to blame someone else. Burger Law’s Waukegan, 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 sufficient warning zones and that cones are placed to keep drivers out of dangerous areas. 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 Waukegan, 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 Much Compensation Will I Receive For My Waukegan, IL Car Accident Injuries?
Financial recoveries in car accident claims typically compensate you for two types of damages: economic damages, including medical expenses and lost wages, and non-economic damages, also known as pain and suffering An important aspect of any car accident attorney’s job is properly calculating the full extent of someone’s damages. We will demand justice in your case.
To calculate your damages, we will first add together the entirety of your economic damages. This includes:
Money lost from time spent off work recovering and lost earning potential
Any medical appointments, surgeries, medications and/or tests
Assistive devices such as wheelchairs
Medical costs you might have in the future, such as additional procedures, 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 include estimated inflation in our settlement demand letter.
After knowing the full extent of your economic damages, we will calculate how much you should be compensated for for your non-economic damages. Typically, that is done by multiplying your economic damages by a factor between 1.5 and five.
For example, say you have $30,000 in economic damages, and your injuries caused you have limited independence for two weeks, your car accident attorney might decide your economic damages should be multiplied by three. Therefore:
$30,000 X 3 = $90,000
Your total damages would be calculated as $120,000.
Three is the most common multiplier used, 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 Factors Go Into How Much My Claim Is Worth?
More serious injuries result in higher compensation. Factors that help determine what your claim is worth include:
The type and severity of your injuries
How much medical treatment you needed, and if you will have more medical expenses in the future
If your injuries resulted in disfigurement or mental or physical impairment
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 by saying they only have to six weeks of treatment, you waited too long to get treatment, they do not need to pay wage loss damages if you had paid-time off or by blaming your injuries on you. We fight back against bullies so they know that will not work. In our more than 30 years of experience fighting back against insurance adjusters, and to date have recovered over $200 million in compensation.
What Is the Statute Of Limitations For Car Accident Claims in Waukegan, IL?
Each state has its own statute of limitations for injury claims. Under 735 ILCS 5/13-202, Illinois’ is shorter than most other states at just two years. There are three notable 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 the date of 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 before the statute of limitations ran out, that time is not counted against you. In Illinois, “legal disability” means:
Someone who, either by mental or physical disability, 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 wait to call a car accident attorney right away after your accident. If you are wondering if any of the exceptions apply to you, speak to an attorney at Burger Law today at (312) 500-HURT to discuss the specifics of your case.
Other cases we get great results for in Waukegan, IL include:
Speak to Our Waukegan, IL Car Accident Attorneys Today
Burger Law’s car accident attorneys are committed devoted to getting each of our Waukegan, IL clients the best possible results in their claims. You did not ask to be injured, and you should not have to pay for another person’s mistakes. We will fight back against bullies like resistant insurance companies. To start on your true road to recovery, speak to Burger Law‘s car accident attorneys now at (312) 500-HURT or contact us online for a free case review.
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.