Car Accident Lawyer Dekalb County, IL

If you were hurt on the road due to someone else’s irresponsible driving in Dekalb County, IL, call a Burger Law car accident lawyer immediately at (312) 500-HURT or contact us online for a complimentary case review. We help our clients in Dekalb County and throughout Northern Illinois receive the best possible compensation for their damages. You do not pay until we win your case.

In an ideal society, everyone would operate cars safely without harming anyone. In a somewhat less perfect society, when people injure others they would take responsibility for their behavior and their insurance company would give you fair compensation without you having to argue with them. In the real world, at-fault drivers often do not want to be held accountable for hurting you and their insurance companies will do anything possible to undervalue your financial recovery. That is when Burger Law acts. Our car accident lawyer team empowers the injured and vulnerable in Dekalb County and throughout Northern Illinois to demand the best possible compensation for their injuries, and we do not rest until you receive it. Your life can be upended in an instant because of another person’s careless actions, and Burger Law is here to make sure you get the justice and financial certainty you are owed for your car wreck.

In more than three decades of defending the rights of the vulnerable, our car accident lawyer team has gotten over $175 million in verdicts and settlements for our Illinois clients. If you were injured because somebody else broke the rules of the road, see how much your injuries may be worth by using our complimentary personal injury calculator

How Common are Car Accidents in Dekalb County and Illinois?

According to reporting from Illinois Department of Transportation, in 2020 there were 246,752 motor vehicle wrecks in the state, resulting in 72,989 injuries and 1,195 fatalities. In 2021, nearly 50 percent of fatal wrecks occurred in urban locales such as Chicago and Cook County. Over a quarter of Chicago and Illinois crashes entailed alcohol and over one-third of the motorists who died had drunk alcohol before the crash. Illinois is the 10th most hazardous state for winter driving, and the 10th most dangerous state in general.

While there is the infrequent wreck that may be unavoidable, such as an animal running out in front of your automobile, close to every Dekalb County, IL traffic crash is avoidable. Human error is the principal cause of car crashes, as it is a factor in 94 percent of wrecks. When you have to pick up the pieces after you are injured owing to a driver’s inattention or thoughtless behavior, you may go through a wide range of emotions, which could include vulnerability, anxiety and uncertainty about how you will get out from under the rising pile of the medical expenses, especially if you have lost income. You do not have to go it by yourself. Every car accident lawyer at Burger Law has pledged their life to offering expert and empathetic support and legal representation to injured individuals and families in Dekalb County, IL. We will help shield you and your family’s future by securing you a complete financial recovery not just for your medical bills, but for any emotional or physical agony and inconvenience you experienced. Call us today at (312) 500-HURT to take the first step toward becoming whole again.

Common Causes of Car Accidents | Dekalb County, IL Car Accident Lawyer

There are innumerable ways in which people can get hurt on the road. The National Safety Council has picked out 23 factors that commonly cause car accidents. Below are some of the most frequent causes that your Burger Law car accident lawyer sees in Dekalb County, IL:

Drunk Driving

Drunk driving and drug-impaired driving are leading causes of fatalities and injury in car wrecks cases. About 28 people perish each day because of driving while intoxicated, or one person each 52 minutes. Drunk driving accidents are one of the few instances in personal injury lawsuits where you might also be able to receive punitive damages. When we sue drunk drivers on your behalf, we do it so they realize precisely how dangerous and reckless their behavior was.

Distracted Driving

Multitasking is a lie. While we may think we can multitask behind the wheel, frequently as a time saving mechanism, 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 getting dressed in the car.

Texting and driving can slow a driver’s reaction time more than when they are impaired by alcohol.

Speeding

According to the 2020 Illinois Crash Facts and Statistics, of the 246,752 motor vehicle collisions in Illinois, 32.9 percent involved speeding, including 37.3 percent of crashes that caused injury and nearly half of deadly accidents. Speeding is hazardous because it substantially reduces the reaction time of both the negligent driver and others on the Dekalb County, IL roads, and it generates more force in accidents.

Drowsy Driving

While many people know about the dangers of distracted driving or drunk driving, driving while sleep deprived has similar effects to driving while impaired. Losing just two hours of sleep is the equal to having three beers. Drivers always need to pull over to the side of the road and rest if they are feeling fatigued.

Poor Weather

You cannot sue the weather, but the Illinois Rules of the Road establishes clear safety measures that drivers have to obey in poor weather, for example signaling far before turning in fog or expanding following distance when it is snowing. If someone else in Dekalb County, IL does not account for weather conditions and causes you injury, your Burger Law car accident lawyer will be able to bring a claim against them for negligent driving.

Defective Parts

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

Irrespective of the cause of your damages, the Dekalb County, IL car accident lawyer team of Burger Law will discover the reason your crash happened, discover who is at fault, hold them accountable and get you full and fair compensation for your damages. We pride ourselves on offering accomplished and understanding legal advocacy to Dekalb County, IL individuals and families who have been hurt through no fault of their own, whatever of their economic status. If a thoughtless driver harmed you, call a Dekalb County, IL Burger Law car accident lawyer today at (312) 500-HURT.

Have a look at some of the links below to see the great results Burger Law’s Dekalb County, 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 | Dekalb County, IL Car Accident Lawyer

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

1. Duty of Care: Your car accident lawyer must prove that the defendant had a responsibility to value your safety. In car wreck cases this is automatic. The Illinois Vehicle Code (625 ILCS 5/11-1003.1) says that motorists are “to exercise due care.” So anybody who gets behind the wheel automatically owes you a duty of care.
2. Breach of Duty: After establishing a duty of care, your car accident lawyer must prove that the defendant disregarded that duty. In motor vehicle accidents, there can be obvious breaches like drunk driving or reckless driving, and there can be less obvious cases such as not signaling properly. Your Dekalb County, IL car accident lawyer at Burger Law knows auto collision cases and how to investigate collisions to demonstrate how another driver was negligent and harmed you.
3. Cause in Fact: Also known as “causation,” you need to demonstrate that the driver’s breach of duty directly caused your injury. Frequently insurance companies try to argue that you already had your injuries, or that they are owing 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 example, we can show through presentations and medical professionals’ depositions that your whiplash injury was caused by being rear-ended.
4. Proximate Cause: This is what ultimately confirms liability. Imagine a situation where someone runs a red light and crashes into you in an intersection, leading to your injuries. If the driver was distracted, they are clearly to blame. If the other driver’s brakes were inherently dangerous and failed to function correctly, then a manufacturer, mechanic or vendor could be held responsible in a product liability suit.
5. Damages. The final thing to prove is that there was some form of loss, such as medical expenses, mental agony or lost wages or lost earning capacity. One of the largest advantages to hiring a car accident lawyer is that we know every kind of damage you are owed and know how to quantify them. The defendant and their insurance company will strive to minimize your damages, but the Dekalb County, 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 to Blame? | Dekalb County, IL Car Accident Lawyer

If you were partially to blame for your car wreck in Dekalb County, IL, your car accident lawyer will still be able to get you compensation, although the total will be less. Illinois is a modified contributory fault state, which means that your compensation will be lowered by the portion of blame you share in your wreck.

Meaning, if you are granted $100,000 for injuries experienced in a rear-end collision, but a jury finds that you are responsible 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 to blame for the wreck, you will not be able to be awarded any compensation in Dekalb County or anywhere Illinois.

Transferring fault onto you is a familiar trick insurance companies employ to devalue claims or get out of paying them at all. The Dekalb County, IL car accident lawyer team of Burger Law stands up to bullies like insurance companies who utilize devious tricks to eschew their responsibility to pay you the money you rightfully deserve. If an insurance company in Dekalb County, IL is unfairly attempting to place fault for your wreck on you, call a Burger Law car accident lawyer now at (312) 500-HURT.

How Long Do I Have to File an Injury Claim in Illinois? | Dekalb County, IL Car Accident Lawyer

After an injury in a car collision, the state of Illinois’s statute of limitations lays out how long you have after you sustain your injuries to bring your claim.

• Generally, Illinois Compiled Statute §735 ILCS 5/13-202 dictates that you have two years after you sustain your injuries to file a personal injury claim.
• To make a wrongful death claim, Illinois Compiled Statute §740 ILCS 180/ stipulates that you have two years from the day of your family member’s death – not the collision.
• If your claim is only for property damage, you have five years from the date of your collision 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 they turn 18 to make a claim. Likewise, if someone is disabled at the time of the accident, they have until two years after the “disability is removed.”

If you have been hurt in a motor vehicle crash, the clock is already winding down for when you can make your claim. Do not wait, get in touch with a Burger Law car accident lawyer immediately at (312) 500-HURT to get justice and the best possible financial recovery for your damages. We begin working on your case straight away and do not let up until we win your case.

How to Avoid Auto Accidents | Dekalb County, IL Car Accident Lawyer

More than three quarters of people who perish in traffic accidents are drivers. Every Burger Law car accident lawyer has seen firsthand the havoc that a careless driver can cause. While you cannot always control how other people drive, there are several steps you can take to protect yourself as well as others on the Dekalb County, IL roadways.

• Always use a seatbelt. In 2017, seatbelts saved an estimated 14,955 people from death. Over 83 percent of drivers and passengers who are entirely ejected from the vehicle perish, and the majority of the rest experienced severe, life-altering injuries. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that wearing a seatbelt lessens the chances of death by almost half and moderate to critical injury by 50 percent.
• Be aware of the laws and best driving practices. The Illinois Secretary of State provides a Quick Guide to Safe Driving for anyone on the Dekalb County, IL roads. Basic tips like driving slower 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 fault or being partially blamed for an accident if you do find yourself in one.
• If you drive a motorcycle, use a helmet. While Dekalb County, IL does not have laws obligating motorcycle drivers to use helmets, they can save your life. In 2017, helmets saved 1,872 lives.
• Do not use your cell phone. While you can always text somebody later, you can never take back the consequences of an auto collision. Pull over to the side of the road 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.
• Have the right attitude. The road is for everyone, and we all need to be respectful to other drivers, passengers and pedestrians. Understand that you are controlling thousands of pounds of metal moving at high speeds. Safety should be your prime concern. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, almost one-fourth of motor vehicle deaths are people under the age of 25. A less cautious attitude is likely a contributing factor.
• Drive with both hands on the wheel. Only having one hand on the wheel can considerably diminish your control of the car. Quickly changing the radio is probably OK, but both hands should be on the wheel the majority of the time.
• Call a taxi or ridesharing service if you have been drinking. Not only does alcohol considerably impede your ability to operate a car 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 believing you can drive home safely, but it is never true.

You can take every precaution imaginable when you get behind the wheel, but regrettably the careless actions of irresponsible drivers can still cause you harm. When you get hurt because another driver broke the rules of the road, you are owed full compensation for all of your damages. Every Dekalb County, 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:

• 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

CALL BURGER LAW NOW

Car Accident Lawyer Dekalb County, IL

You should never have had to carry the financial, physical and emotional burden of another person’s poor decisions and reckless behavior. Fortunately, the law provides a path to restitution, but you only have one chance to attain it. Trust in a car accident lawyer in Dekalb County, IL who has gotten results and won complex cases before. Burger Law aggressively pursues litigation so insurance companies know we will settle for nothing less than the best possible financial recovery. We intimidate insurance companies because they know we use our hard work, knowledge, experience, determination and devotion to regularly secure the best possible results for our Dekalb County, IL clients and see them made whole again. When you hire a Burger Law car accident lawyer, we start working on your case right away and do not stop until you get the full financial recovery you are owed. Call a Burger Law car accident lawyer in Dekalb County, IL now at (312) 500-HURT or fill out our online form for a free 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!

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