Car Accident Lawyer Bridgeview, IL

If you were injured on the road because of another person’s irresponsible driving in Bridgeview, IL, call a Burger Law car accident lawyer immediately at (312) 500-HURT or contact us online for a complimentary case evaluation. We help our clients in Bridgeview and anywhere in Northern Illinois get the best possible compensation for their injuries. We do not charge any fees until we win your case.

In an ideal society, everyone would operate cars in a safe manner and no one would become hurt. In a slightly less ideal world, when people injure others they would take responsibility for their actions and their insurance company would give you equitable compensation without you having to argue with them. In the real world, irresponsible drivers often do not want to be held accountable for harming you and their insurance companies will do anything they can to undervalue your financial recovery. That is when Burger Law takes actions. Our car accident lawyer team assists the injured and vulnerable in Bridgeview and throughout Northern Illinois in demanding full compensation for their injuries, and we do not rest until you receive it. Your life can change in a nanosecond because of somebody else’s reckless actions, and Burger Law is here to make certain you get the justice and financial certainty you deserve for your injuries.

In over 30 years of practicing law, our car accident lawyer team has gotten more than $175 million in verdicts and settlements for our Illinois clients. If you were harmed because someone else was negligent, learn how much your claim may be worth by using our complimentary personal injury calculator.

How Common are Car Accidents in Bridgeview and Illinois?

According to reporting from Illinois Department of Transportation, in 2020 there were 246,752 auto crashes in the state, which caused 72,989 injuries and 1,195 fatalities. In 2021, nearly 50 percent of fatal collisions happened in urban locales like Chicago and Cook County. Over one-fourth of Chicago and Illinois crashes entailed alcohol and over one-third of the motorists killed had drunk alcohol before the crash. Illinois is the 10th most hazardous state for winter driving, and the 10th most dangerous state overall.

While there is the uncommon crash that may be unavoidable, such as an animal jumping in front of your car, nearly every Bridgeview, IL car accident is preventable. Human error is the leading cause of motor vehicle wrecks, as it is a factor in 94 percent of wrecks. When you have to pick up the pieces after you are harmed owing to a driver’s inattention or irresponsible behavior, you may undergo a wide range of emotions, which could include vulnerability, distress and worry about how you will pay for all the medical bills, particularly if you have to miss work. You do not have to go it alone. Every car accident lawyer at Burger Law has devoted their career to offering expert and passionate support and legal representation to injured individuals and families in Bridgeview, IL. We will help shield you and your family’s future by securing you complete compensation not just for your medical bills, but for any mental or physical agony and inconvenience you experienced. Call us now at (312) 500-HURT to start on your road to recovery.

Common Causes of Car Accidents | Bridgeview, IL Car Accident Lawyer

There are myriad ways that people can become hurt on the road. The National Safety Council has picked out 23 factors that commonly contribute to auto accidents. Below are some of the most common causes that your Burger Law car accident lawyer sees in Bridgeview, IL:

Driving While Intoxicated

Drunk driving and drug-impaired driving are major causes of death and injury in traffic crashes cases. About 28 people lose their life every day due to drunk driving, or one person every 52 minutes. Drunk driving crashes are one of the only cases in personal injury claims where you may also be able to be awarded punitive damages. When we sue drunk drivers on your behalf, we do it so they know precisely how dangerous and irresponsible their behavior was.

Distracted Driving

The idea that we can multitask is a misconception. While we may think we can multitask behind the wheel, frequently to save time, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ascribed 3,142 deaths to distracted driving in 2020. It is never worth those two extra minutes to finish eating breakfast on the road.

Texting and driving can slow a driver’s reaction time worse than when they are intoxicated.

Speeding

According to the 2020 Illinois Crash Facts and Statistics, of the 246,752 traffic crashes in Illinois, one-third involved speeding, including 37.3 percent of accidents that resulted in injury and almost half of fatal wrecks. Speeding is dangerous because it significantly lowers the reaction time of both the liable driver and others on the Bridgeview, IL roads, and it causes more force in crashes.

Drowsy Driving

While many people are aware of the dangers of distracted driving or drunk driving, driving while sleep deprived has analogous effects to driving while drunk. Losing just two hours of sleep is the the same as drinking three beers. Drivers always need to pull over to the side of the road and rest if they are feeling sleepy.

Poor Weather

You cannot sue the weather, but the Illinois Rules of the Road sets clear safety measures that drivers have to heed in poor conditions, such as signaling long before turning in fog or increasing following distance when in winter conditions. If somebody else in Bridgeview, IL does not drive properly for weather conditions and harms you, your Burger Law car accident lawyer will be able to hold them accountable for negligent driving.

Defective Parts

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration states that defective parts were the chief factor in more or less 2 percent of car accidents. Manufacturers must safely design vehicles, test them and issue recalls whenever a faulty parts is learned of. If your injuries were due to defective brakes or an airbag that did not deploy, your Burger Law car accident lawyer will help you make a claim against a manufacturer.

No matter the cause of your injuries, the Bridgeview, IL car accident lawyer team of Burger Law will get to the bottom of your crash, discover who is liable, hold them responsible and deliver you maximum compensation for your injuries. We pride ourselves on offering professional and compassionate legal counsel to Bridgeview, IL residents who have been harmed through no fault of their own, regardless of of their financial status. If a careless driver hurt you, call a Bridgeview, IL Burger Law car accident lawyer now at (312) 500-HURT.

Check out some of the links below to see the great results Burger Law’s Bridgeview, IL car accident lawyer team has gotten for our clients:

• • $2 million Multi-Vehicle Collision Settlement
  • $765,000 Wrongful Death Car Accident Settlement Against Fire Department
  • $327,000 Settlement for Rear-End Collision
  • $250,000 Settlement for Crash After A Driver Ran a Red Light
  • $205,000 Settlement After Failure to Stop at a Stop Sign
  • $125,000 Settlement After Rear-End Collision at a Stop Light
  • $100,000 Settlement for Distracted Driving
  • $100,000 Settlement for Head-On Collision
  • $90,000 Settlement for an Injured Passenger

Winning Your Car Crash Case | Bridgeview, IL Car Accident Lawyer

In order to prove your claim, your car accident lawyer will have to prove the five elements of negligence found in tort law:

1. Duty of Care: Your car accident lawyer must prove that the other driver had a responsibility to prioritize your safety. In traffic collision cases this is a given. The Illinois Vehicle Code (625 ILCS 5/11-1003.1) says that drivers are “to exercise due care.” So anybody who gets behind the wheel inherently owes you a duty of care.
2. Breach of Duty: Next, your car accident lawyer must show that the defendant neglected that duty. In auto accidents, there can be egregious breaches like drunk driving or reckless driving, and there can be less obvious cases like texting and driving. Your Bridgeview, IL car accident lawyer at Burger Law knows all the rules of the road and how to investigate collisions to show how someone else was negligent and hurt you.
3. Cause in Fact: Also known as “causation,” you need to prove that the driver’s breach of duty directly caused your injury. Occasionally insurance companies try to argue that you already had your injuries, or that they are due to deterioration with old age. Your car accident lawyer at Burger Law knows how to conclusively show exactly how the collision caused your injuries. For instance, we can show through presentations and medical expert depositions that your whiplash injury was caused by being rear-ended.
4. Proximate Cause: This is what ultimately confirms liability. Imagine a situation where a driver runs a stop light and hits you in an intersection, leading to your injuries. If the driver was drunk, they are obviously liable. If the other driver’s brakes were inherently dangerous and did not work correctly, then a manufacturer, mechanic or vendor could be at fault in a product liability claim.
5. Damages. The final thing to prove is that there was some sort of loss, which can include medical costs, mental distress or time away from work because of your injury. One of the biggest benefits of hiring a car accident lawyer is that we know every kind of damage you deserve and know how to calculate them. The defendant and their insurance company will strive to minimize your damages, but the Bridgeview, IL car accident lawyer team of Burger Law will demand that you receive maximum compensation.

Can I Still Collect Compensation in Illinois if I Was Partially at Fault? | Bridgeview, IL Car Accident Lawyer

If you were partly to blame for your motor vehicle wreck in Bridgeview, IL, your car accident lawyer will still be able to secure you a financial recovery, however the total will be less. Illinois is a modified contributory fault state, which means that your recovery will be lowered by the percentage of fault you share in your wreck.

Meaning, if you are granted $100,000 for damages experienced in a rear-end collision, but a jury finds that you are liable for 30 percent of the blame because you stopped suddenly, you will receive $70,000 in total. It is important to note that 735 ILCS 5/ §2-1116 states that:

The plaintiff shall be barred from recovering damages if the trier of fact finds that the contributory fault on the part of the plaintiff is more than 50 percent of the proximate cause of the injury or damage for which recovery is sought.

That means that if you are over 50 percent liable for the wreck, you will not be able to receive any financial recovery in Bridgeview or anywhere Illinois.

Shifting fault onto you is a common trick insurance companies employ to diminish claims or get out of paying them at all. The Bridgeview, IL car accident lawyer team of Burger Law pushes back against bullies like insurance companies who use dishonest tricks to eschew their responsibility to pay you the money you are rightfully owed. If an insurance company in Bridgeview, IL is unfairly trying to place responsibility for your collision on you, call a Burger Law car accident lawyer now at (312) 500-HURT.

How Long Do I Have to Make an Injury Claim in Illinois? | Bridgeview, IL Car Accident Lawyer

Following an injury in a motor vehicle wreck, the state of Illinois’s statute of limitations lays out how long you have after the date of the injury to make your claim.

• Generally speaking, Illinois Compiled Statute §735 ILCS 5/13-202 dictates that you have two years after the date of the injury to make a personal injury claim.
• To file a wrongful death claim, Illinois Compiled Statute §740 ILCS 180/ dictates that you have two years from the date of your family member’s death – not the wreck.
• If your claim is only related to property damage, you have five years from the date of your crash to make a claim, pursuant to Illinois Compiled Statute §735 ILCS 13-205.
• According to Illinois Compiled Statute §735 ILCS 13-211, if the injury was incurred by a minor, they have up to two years after the date of their 18th birthday to file a claim. Likewise, if someone is under a disability at the time you sustained your injuries, they have until two years after the “disability is removed.”

If you have been hurt in a car crash, the clock is already winding down for when you can file your claim. Do not hesitate, contact a Burger Law car accident lawyer now at (312) 500-HURT to get justice and maximum compensation for your damages. We start working on your claim straight away and do not rest until we win your case.

How to Avoid Auto Accidents | Bridgeview, IL Car Accident Lawyer

Over three quarters of people killed in traffic crashes are drivers. Every Burger Law car accident lawyer has seen with their own eyes the devastation that a thoughtless driver can cause. While you cannot always control how other people drive, there are numerous steps you can take to protect yourself in addition to others on the Bridgeview, IL streets.

• Always use a seatbelt. In 2017, seatbelts saved approximately 14,955 people from death. More than 83 percent of drivers and passengers who are entirely expelled from the vehicle die, and the majority of the rest sustained significant, life-changing injuries. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration states that wearing a seatbelt lessens the chances of death by 45 percent and moderate to critical injury by 50 percent.
• Be familiar with the rules of the road. The Illinois Secretary of State has published a Quick Guide to Safe Driving for Bridgeview, IL drivers. Basic tips like driving at lower speeds and increasing following distance in winter conditions not only go a long way in keeping you and other drivers and passengers safe, but they also protect you from liability or being partially blamed for a crash if you do find yourself in one.
• If you drive a motorcycle, use a helmet. While Bridgeview, IL does not have laws forcing motorcycle drivers to wear helmets, they are literal life-savers. In 2017, helmets saved 1,872 lives.
• Put away your cell phone. While you can always text somebody later, you can never take back the consequences of a traffic wreck. Pull over safely if you need to make an urgent call. If you use your phone for directions, put the volume on high and do not listen to music or podcasts so you can clearly hear the directions and do not have to look down at your phone.
• Have the right attitude. The road is for everyone, and we all should be respectful to other drivers, passengers and pedestrians. Recognize that you are in control of thousands of pounds of metal moving at high speeds. Safety needs to be your prime concern. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, almost a quarter of traffic deaths are people under the age of 25. Maturity is likely a contributing factor.
• Drive with both hands on the wheel. Only having one hand on the wheel can significantly lessen your control of the car. Quickly changing the radio is probably OK, but you should mostly be driving with both hands.
• Call a taxi or ridesharing service if you have been drinking. Not only does alcohol substantially impair your ability to drive safely, but it also boosts your confidence and makes you feel more powerful, so you could think driving while drunk will be fine. Your brain might deceive you into thinking you can drive home safely, but it is never the case.

You can take every possible precaution when driving, but unfortunately the careless actions of irresponsible drivers can still hurt you. When you get hurt because another person broke the rules of the road, you deserve complete compensation for all of your damages. Every Bridgeview, IL car accident lawyer at Burger Law takes on and wins the tough cases, and knows how to achieve great results.

Learn more about our various practice areas by clicking the links below:

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

CALL BURGER LAW NOW

Car Accident Lawyer Bridgeview, IL

You should never have had to carry the economic, physical and emotional hardships of somebody else’s poor decisions and irresponsible actions. Fortunately, the law provides an avenue for restitution, but you only have one chance to get it. Trust in a car accident lawyer in Bridgeview, IL who has gotten results and won complex cases before. Burger Law aggressively pursues litigation so insurance companies know we will take nothing but full compensation. Insurance companies are afraid of us because they know we use our hard work, expertise, experience, determination and commitment to regularly get the best possible results for our Bridgeview, IL clients and see them made whole again. When you hire a Burger Law car accident lawyer, we get to work on your case at once and do not let up until you get the full financial recovery you deserve. Call a Burger Law car accident lawyer in Bridgeview, IL today at (312) 500-HURT or fill out our online form for a complimentary case review.

Client Reviews

What our clients are saying about us

Juanita Matthews

Year of 2023

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!

View More Reviews on Google Maps and Yelp