Car Accident Lawyer Evergreen Park, IL

Car Accident Lawyer in Evergreen Park, IL. If you were harmed on the road because of another’s irresponsible driving in Evergreen Park, 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 Evergreen Park and anywhere in Northern Illinois secure full compensation for their damages. We do not charge any fees until we win your case.

In a perfect world, everyone would drive carefully without hurting anyone. In a somewhat less perfect world, when people cause others injuries they would take responsibility for their actions and their insurance company would give you just compensation without you having to argue with them. In the real world, liable drivers frequently do not want to be held accountable for injuring you and their insurance companies will do whatever they can to undervalue your financial recovery. That is when Burger Law acts. Our car accident lawyer team empowers the injured and vulnerable in Evergreen Park and throughout Northern Illinois to demand maximum compensation for their damages, and we do not rest until you get it. Your life can change in an instant because of another person’s negligent behavior, and Burger Law will fight by your side to make certain you get the justice and financial security you deserve for your accident.

In over 30 years of experience, our car accident lawyer team has won over $175 million in verdicts and settlements for our Illinois clients. If you were injured because another driver broke the rules of the road, find out the value of your injuries by filling out our complimentary personal injury calculator.

How Common are Car Accidents in Evergreen Park and Illinois?

According to reporting from Illinois Department of Transportation, in 2020 there were 246,752 motor vehicle crashes in the state, resulting in 72,989 injuries and 1,195 fatalities. In 2021, close to 50 percent of fatal collisions happened in metropolitan areas like Chicago and Cook County. Over 25 percent of Chicago and Illinois wrecks entailed alcohol and over a third of the motorists killed had drunk alcohol before the accident. Illinois is the 10th most hazardous state for winter driving, and the 10th most dangerous state in general.

While there is the rare crash that may be inevitable, such as an animal jumping in front of your car, just about every Evergreen Park, IL auto collision is avoidable. Human error is the primary cause of motor vehicle wrecks, as it is a factor in 94 percent of crashes. When you are left to pick up the pieces after you are harmed because of a driver’s negligence or careless behavior, you may go through a variety of emotions, such as vulnerability, fear and apprehension about how you will pay for all the medical bills, especially if you have to miss work. You do not have to go through this process alone. Every car accident lawyer at Burger Law has committed their life to offering expert and compassionate support and legal counsel to injured individuals and families in Evergreen Park, IL. We will help safeguard you and your family’s future by getting you complete compensation not only for your medical bills, but for any mental or physical anguish and inconvenience you experienced. Call us today at (312) 500-HURT to start on your road to recovery.

Common Causes of Car Accidents | Evergreen Park, IL Car Accident Lawyer

There are many ways in which people can become hurt on the road. The National Safety Council has determine 23 factors that commonly cause motor vehicle wrecks. The following are some of the most common causes that your Burger Law car accident lawyer sees in Evergreen Park, IL:

Driving While Intoxicated

Drunk driving and drug-impaired driving are leading causes of fatalities and injury in traffic crashes cases. About 28 people lose their life each day because of driving while intoxicated, or one person each 52 minutes. Drunk driving accidents are one of the few cases in personal injury lawsuits where you may also be able to recover punitive damages. When we sue drunk drivers on your behalf, we do it so they know precisely how dangerous and careless their actions were.

Distracted Driving

Multitasking is a misconception. While we may trust ourselves to multitask behind the wheel, often to save time, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration attributed 3,142 deaths to distracted driving in 2020. It is never worth those two extra minutes to finish eating breakfast in the car.

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

Speeding

According to data from the 2020 Illinois Crash Facts and Statistics, of the 246,752 motor vehicle wrecks in Illinois, one-third involved speeding, including 37.3 percent of collisions that led to injury and 44.9 percent of deadly collisions. Speeding is dangerous because it substantially lowers the reaction time of both the liable driver and others on the Evergreen Park, IL roads, and it produces more force in accidents.

Drowsy Driving

While many people are aware of the hazards of distracted driving or driving while impaired, driving while drowsy has similar 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 drowsy.

Poor Weather

You cannot sue the weather, but the Illinois Rules of the Road establishes clear safety measures that drivers have to obey in inclement weather, for instance signaling long before making a turn in fog or expanding following distance when in winter conditions. If another driver in Evergreen Park, IL does not account for weather conditions and causes you injury, your Burger Law car accident lawyer will be able to hold them accountable for negligent driving.

Defective Parts

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that defective parts were the critical cause in around 2 percent of motor vehicle crashes. Manufacturers must safely design vehicles, test them and issue recalls whenever a defective 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 bring a claim against a manufacturer.

Regardless of the cause of your damages, the Evergreen Park, IL car accident lawyer team of Burger Law will discover the reason your crash happened, determine who is liable, hold them accountable and deliver you full and fair compensation for your injuries. We pride ourselves on offering qualified and understanding legal counsel to Evergreen Park, IL individuals and families who have been hurt through no fault of their own, no matter of their economic standing. If a thoughtless driver hurt you, call a Evergreen Park, IL Burger Law car accident lawyer immediately at (312) 500-HURT.

Check out some of the following links to see the great results Burger Law’s Evergreen Park, IL car accident lawyer team has delivered 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 | Evergreen Park, IL Car Accident Lawyer

In order to prove your case, 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 show that the other driver had an obligation to value your safety. In motor vehicle crash cases this is automatic. The Illinois Vehicle Code (625 ILCS 5/11-1003.1) says that drivers are “to exercise due care.” So anybody who drives automatically owes you a duty of care.
2. Breach of Duty: Next, your car accident lawyer must prove that the defendant neglected that duty. In car collisions, there can be egregious breaches such as driving while intoxicated or reckless driving, and there can be less apparent cases like not signaling properly. Your Evergreen Park, IL car accident lawyer at Burger Law knows all the rules of the road and how to investigate collisions to prove how somebody else was negligent and hurt you.
3. Cause in Fact: Also referred to “causation,” you need to prove that the driver’s breach of duty directly caused your injury. Sometimes insurance companies try to tell you that you already had your injuries, or that they are due to decline with old age. Your car accident lawyer at Burger Law knows how to demonstrate precisely how the accident caused your injuries. For instance, 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 finally decides liability. Imagine a scenario where a driver runs a stop light and hits you in an intersection, leading to your injuries. If the driver was drunk, they are plainly liable. If the other driver’s brakes were faulty and did not work adequately, then a manufacturer, mechanic or vendor could be liable in a product liability suit.
5. Damages. The final facet to show is that there was some type of loss, which can include medical bills, mental distress or lost wages or lost earning capacity. One of the largest advantages to hiring a car accident lawyer is that we know every variety of damage you are owed and know how to calculate them. The other driver and their insurance company will endeavor to minimize your damages, but the Evergreen Park, IL car accident lawyer team of Burger Law will demand that you collect maximum compensation.

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

If you were partly liable for your traffic crash in Evergreen Park, IL, your car accident lawyer will still be able to secure you compensation, however the amount 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 awarded $100,000 for damages sustained in a rear-end collision, but a jury finds that you are responsible for 30 percent of the blame because you stopped unexpectedly, you will collect $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 responsible for the accident, you will not be able to receive any compensation in Evergreen Park or anywhere Illinois.

Shifting fault onto you is a familiar trick insurance adjusters use to minimize claims or avoid paying them altogether. The Evergreen Park, IL car accident lawyer team of Burger Law fights back against bullies like insurance companies who employ unethical tactics to eschew their responsibility to pay you the money you are rightfully owed. If an insurance company in Evergreen Park, IL is wrongfully 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? | Evergreen Park, IL Car Accident Lawyer

Following an injury in a motor vehicle crash, the state of Illinois’s statute of limitations dictates how long you can wait after you sustain your injuries to make your claim.

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

If you have been injured in a traffic wreck, the clock is already ticking for when you can bring your claim. Do not delay, reach out to a Burger Law car accident lawyer now at (312) 500-HURT to get justice and the maximum financial recovery for your damages. We start working on your claim straight away and do not give up until we win your case.

How to Avoid Auto Accidents | Evergreen Park, IL Car Accident Lawyer

More than 75 percent of people killed in car accidents are drivers. Every Burger Law car accident lawyer has seen with their own eyes the destruction that a careless driver can cause. While you cannot always control other people’s actions, there are several measures you can take to ensure your own safety in addition to the safety of others on the Evergreen Park, IL roadways.

• Always use a seatbelt. In 2017, seatbelts saved approximately 14,955 lives. More than 83 percent of drivers and passengers who are entirely ejected from the vehicle die, and the majority of the rest sustained severe, life-changing injuries. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that wearing a seatbelt lowers the risk of death by almost half and moderate to critical injury by 50 percent.
• Know the rules of the road. The Illinois Secretary of State provides a Quick Guide to Safe Driving for Evergreen Park, IL drivers. Simple suggestions like driving at lower speeds and increasing following distance in winter conditions not only go a long way in keeping you and everyone else on the road safe, but they also protect you from fault or being partially blamed for an accident if you do find yourself in one.
• If you are a motorcyclist, use a helmet. While Evergreen Park, IL does not have laws forcing motorcycle drivers to wear helmets, they can save your life. In 2017, helmets saved 1,872 lives.
• Put down your cell phone. While you can always text somebody later, you can never take back the consequences of a motor vehicle crash. 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 turn the radio off 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 need to be polite to other drivers, passengers and pedestrians. Understand that you are in control of thousands of pounds of metal moving at high speeds. Safety needs to be your priority. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, almost a quarter of auto deaths are people under the age of 25. Maturity is probably a contributing factor.
• Keep both hands on the wheel. Only driving with one hand can considerably diminish your control of the vehicle. Quickly changing the A/C settings is likely 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 impede your ability to drive safely, but it also raises your confidence and makes you feel more powerful, so you might think driving while drunk will be fine. Your brain might deceive you into believing you can drive home safely, but it is never the case.

You can take every precaution imaginable when you get behind the wheel, but regrettably the reckless behavior of irresponsible drivers can still cause you injury. When you get hurt because another driver broke the rules of the road, you are owed maximum compensation for all of your damages. Every Evergreen Park, IL car accident lawyer at Burger Law takes on and wins the tough cases, and knows how to attain 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 Evergreen Park, IL

You should never have had to bear the economic, physical and emotional hardships of somebody else’s poor decisions and irresponsible actions. Fortunately, the law provides an avenue for restitution, although you only have one shot to get it. Trust in a car accident lawyer in Evergreen Park, IL who has achieved results and won tough cases before. Burger Law persistently pursues lawsuits so insurance companies know we will take nothing less than a full financial recovery. Insurance companies fear us because they know we use our hard work, savvy, experience, tenacity and commitment to always get the best possible results for our Evergreen Park, 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 rest until you get the full financial recovery you deserve. Call a Burger Law car accident lawyer in Evergreen Park, IL immediately 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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