Car Accident Lawyer Geneva, IL

Car Accident Lawyer in Geneva, IL. If you were hurt on the road because of somebody else’s negligence in Geneva, IL, call a Burger Law car accident lawyer now at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a free case review. We help our clients in Geneva and throughout Missouri get the best possible financial recoveries for their damages. You do not owe us any fees until we win your case.

In an ideal world, everyone would drive safely without injuring anyone. In a somewhat less ideal world, when people injure others they would take responsibility for their actions and their insurance company would give you full compensation without you having to argue with them. In the real world, irresponsible drivers all too often do not want to be held accountable for injuring you and their insurance companies will do whatever possible to devalue your claim. That is when Burger Law acts. Our car accident lawyer team supports the injured and vulnerable in Geneva and throughout Missouri in insisting on the best possible compensation for their damages, and we do not stop until you recover it. Your life can be upended in a nanosecond because of somebody else’s negligence, and Burger Law will stand by your side to ensure you get the justice and economic certainty you are owed for your motor vehicle crash.

In over three decades of defending the rights of the vulnerable, our car accident lawyer team has gotten upwards of $175 million in verdicts and settlements for our Illinois clients. If you were harmed because someone else was careless, find out how much your case may be worth by filling out our complimentary personal injury calculator.

How Common are Car Accidents in Geneva and Illinois?

According to the Illinois Department of Transportation, in 2020 there were 246,752 traffic crashes in the state, resulting in 72,989 injuries and 1,195 fatalities. In 2021, nearly 50 percent of deadly collisions happened in urban areas like Chicago and Cook County. Over 25 percent of Chicago and Illinois crashes entailed alcohol and over a third of the motorists who perished had drunk alcohol before the collision. Illinois is the 10th most dangerous state for winter driving, and the 10th most hazardous state in general.

While there is the infrequent crash that may be unavoidable, such as an animal running out in front of your car, almost every Geneva, IL motor vehicle accident is avoidable. Human error is the chief cause of motor vehicle wrecks, as it is a factor in 94 percent of crashes. When you have to pick up the pieces after you are harmed due to a driver’s negligence or irresponsible behavior, you may go through a variety of emotions, such as vulnerability, panic and uncertainty about how you will pay for all the medical expenses, particularly if you have lost income. You do not have to go through this process by yourself. Every car accident lawyer at Burger Law has pledged their life to offering professional and empathetic advocacy and legal representation to injured individuals and families in Geneva, IL. We will help protect you and your family’s future by winning you a full financial recovery not only for your medical expenses, but for any emotional or physical anguish and inconvenience you experienced. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT to start on your road to recovery.

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

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

Drunk Driving

Drunk driving and drug-impaired driving are leading causes of death and injury in auto crashes cases. About 28 people lose their life every day because of drunk driving, or one person every 52 minutes. Drunk driving wrecks are one of the few cases in personal injury suits where you might also be able to get punitive damages. When we sue drunk drivers on your behalf, we do it so they understand precisely how dangerous and reckless their actions were.

Distracted Driving

The idea that we can multitask is a myth. While we may trust ourselves to multitask when driving, often to save time, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration attributed 3,142 deaths to distracted driving in 2020. It is never worth those 90 extra seconds to finish shaving 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 auto accidents in Illinois, a third involved speeding, including 37.3 percent of accidents that resulted in injury and 44.9 percent of fatal collisions. Speeding is dangerous because it considerably reduces the reaction time of both the liable driver and others on the Geneva, IL roads, and it produces more force in crashes.

Drowsy Driving

While many people appreciate the hazards of distracted driving or drunk driving, driving while sleep deprived has comparable effects to drunk driving. Losing just two hours of sleep is the the same as having three beers. Drivers should always pull over to the side of the road and rest if they are feeling drowsy.

Inclement Weather

You cannot sue the weather, but the Illinois Rules of the Road establishes clear safety procedures that drivers must observe in poor weather, such as signaling much before turning in fog or expanding following distance when it is snowing. If somebody else in Geneva, IL does not adjust to weather conditions and causes you injury, your Burger Law car accident lawyer will be able to hold them liable for negligent driving.

Defective Parts

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

Whatever the cause of your injuries, the Geneva, IL car accident lawyer team of Burger Law will get to the bottom of your crash, find out who is at fault, hold them accountable and get you full and fair compensation for your injuries. We pride ourselves on offering qualified and empathetic legal counsel to Geneva, IL residents who have been harmed through no fault of their own, irrespective of of their economic standing. If a thoughtless driver injured you, call a Geneva, IL Burger Law car accident lawyer today at (314) 500-HURT.

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

In order to win your case, your car accident lawyer will need to demonstrate 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 duty to care for your safety. In motor vehicle wreck 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 automatically owes you a duty of care.
2. Breach of Duty: After establishing a duty of care, your car accident lawyer must demonstrate that the defendant disregarded that duty. In traffic wrecks, there can be obvious breaches such as driving while intoxicated or reckless driving, and there can be less evident cases like texting and driving. Your Geneva, IL car accident lawyer at Burger Law knows the law and how to investigate collisions to prove how another driver was negligent and caused you injuries.
3. Cause in Fact: Also called “causation,” you need to demonstrate that the driver’s violation of duty directly caused your damages. Sometimes insurance companies try to argue that you already had your injuries, or that they are due to degeneration with old age. Your car accident lawyer at Burger Law knows how to demonstrate precisely how the wreck 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 finally decides negligence. Picture a situation where a driver does not stop at a red light and crashes into you in an intersection, resulting in your injuries. If the driver was inattentive, they are obviously at fault. If the other driver’s brakes were faulty and failed to function properly, then a manufacturer, mechanic or vendor could be liable in a product liability lawsuit.
5. Damages. The last aspect to demonstrate is that there was some form of loss, for instance medical bills, emotional anguish or time away from work because of your injury. One of the best benefits of hiring a car accident lawyer is that we know every kind of loss you are owed and know how to calculate them. The other driver and their insurance company will try to devalue your damages, but the Geneva, IL car accident lawyer team of Burger Law will demand that you are awarded full compensation.

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

If you were partly to blame for your auto accident in Geneva, IL, your car accident lawyer will still be able to get you a financial recovery, yet the sum will be less. Illinois is a modified contributory fault state, which means that your compensation will be lowered by the portion of liability you share in your crash.

Meaning, if you are granted $100,000 for injuries experienced in a rear-end collision, but a jury finds that you are liable for 30 percent of the blame because you stopped abruptly, 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 collision, you will not be able to be awarded any financial recovery in Geneva or anywhere Illinois.

Shifting blame onto you is a common trick insurance companies use to devalue claims or circumvent paying them at all. The Geneva, IL car accident lawyer team of Burger Law fights back against bullies like insurance companies who utilize unethical tactics to eschew their responsibility to reimburse you what you are rightfully owed. If an insurance company in Geneva, IL is wrongfully trying to place responsibility for your collision on you, call a Burger Law car accident lawyer now at (314) 500-HURT.

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

Following an injury in an auto wreck, the state of Illinois’s statute of limitations dictates how long you can wait after the date of the injury to file your claim.

• Generally speaking, Illinois Compiled Statute §735 ILCS 5/13-202 stipulates that you have two years after the injuries occur to make a personal injury claim.
• To file a wrongful death claim, Illinois Compiled Statute §740 ILCS 180/ states that you have two years from the date 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 wreck to file a claim, under Illinois Compiled Statute §735 ILCS 13-205.
• Under Illinois Compiled Statute §735 ILCS 13-211, if if a minor was hurt, they have up to two years after they turn 18 to file a claim. Likewise, if someone is disabled at the time of the accident, they have until two years following the date the “disability is removed.”

If you have been hurt in a car collision, the clock is already ticking for when you can file your claim. Do not delay, reach out to a Burger Law car accident lawyer right away at (314) 500-HURT to get justice and the best possible compensation for your damages. We begin working on your claim straight away and do not give up until we win your case.

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

Over three quarters of people who die in traffic wrecks are drivers. Every Burger Law car accident lawyer has seen firsthand the destruction that a careless driver can cause. While you cannot always control how other people drive, there are several measures you can take to ensure your own safety as well as the safety of others on the Geneva, IL streets.

• Always wear a seatbelt. In 2017, seatbelts saved an estimated 14,955 lives. More than 83 percent of drivers and passengers who are entirely ejected from the vehicle die, and most of the rest suffered severe, life-changing injuries. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that wearing a seatbelt lessens the chances of death by 45 percent and moderate to critical injury by 50 percent.
• Be aware of the laws and best driving practices. The Illinois Secretary of State has published a Quick Guide to Safe Driving for anyone on the Geneva, IL roads. Fundamental tips like driving at lower speeds and increasing following distance in poor weather not only do a lot to keep you and everyone else on the road safe, but they also shield you from fault or being partially blamed for a crash if you do find yourself in one.
• If you are a motorcyclist, wear a helmet. While Geneva, 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 call someone back, you can never take back the effects of a traffic 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 turn the music off so you can clearly hear the directions and do not have to look.
• Have the right attitude. We all share the road, and we all should be courteous to other drivers, passengers and pedestrians. Be aware of the fact that you are in control of thousands of pounds of metal moving at high speeds. Safety should be your prime concern. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, almost a quarter of motor vehicle deaths are people under the age of 25. Maturity is likely a contributing factor.
• Drive with both hands on the wheel. Only driving with one hand can substantially lessen your control of the vehicle. Quickly changing the radio 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 diminish your ability to operate a car safely, but it also raises 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 true.

You can take every precaution imaginable when driving, but unfortunately the careless actions of irresponsible drivers can still harm you. When you get hurt because somebody else broke the rules of the road, you are entitled to complete compensation for all of your damages. Every Geneva, 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 Geneva, IL

You should never have had to carry the economic, physical and emotional burden of somebody else’s selfish decisions and careless behavior. Fortunately, the law offers a path to restitution, but you only have one chance to attain it. Trust in a car accident lawyer in Geneva, IL who has achieved results and won complex cases before. Burger Law persistently pursues lawsuits so insurance companies know we will accept nothing but maximum compensation. We intimidate insurance companies because they know we use our hard work, savvy, experience, determination and dedication to regularly deliver the best possible results for our Geneva, IL clients and see them made whole again. When you hire a Burger Law car accident lawyer, we begin working on your case at once and do not stop until you get the full financial recovery you deserve. Call a Burger Law car accident lawyer in Geneva, IL today at (314) 500-HURT or fill out our online form for a complimentary case evaluation.

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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