Car Accident Lawyer Hoffman Estates, IL

Car Accident Lawyer in Hoffman Estates, IL. If you were injured on the road due to somebody else’s negligence in Hoffman Estates, IL, call a Burger Law car accident lawyer now at (312) 500-HURT or contact us online for a complimentary consultation. We help our clients in Hoffman Estates and anywhere in Northern Illinois receive the best possible compensation for their injuries. You do not owe us any fees until we win your case.

How Common are Car Accidents in Hoffman Estates and Illinois?

According to data from the Illinois Department of Transportation, in 2020 there were 246,752 motor vehicle collisions in the state, resulting in 72,989 injuries and 1,195 deaths. In 2021, close to 50 percent of deadly wrecks took place in urban locales like Chicago and Cook County. Over one-fourth of Chicago and Illinois wrecks involved alcohol and over one-third of the motorists killed had drunk alcohol before the collision. Illinois is the 10th most hazardous state for winter driving, and the 10th most dangerous state altogether.

While there is the infrequent collision that may be unavoidable, such as an animal leaping out in front of your vehicle, just about every Hoffman Estates, IL auto wreck is avoidable. Human error is the chief cause of motor vehicle accidents, as it is a factor in 94 percent of wrecks. When you are left to pick up the pieces after you are hurt because of a driver’s inattention or irresponsible behavior, you may experience a variety of emotions, such as vulnerability, distress and apprehension about how you will get out from under the rising pile of the medical bills, particularly if you have to miss work. You do not have to go through this process by yourself. Every car accident lawyer at Burger Law has dedicated their life to offering professional and passionate advocacy and legal counsel to injured individuals and families in Hoffman Estates, IL. We will help shield you and your family’s future by securing you a complete financial recovery not only for your medical bills, but for any mental or physical anguish and inconvenience you experienced. Call us now at (312) 500-HURT to take the first step toward becoming whole again.

In an ideal society, everyone would operate cars carefully without harming anyone. In a slightly less ideal world, when people harm others they would admit liability for their behavior and their insurance company would offer you just compensation without you having to fight for it. In the real world, liable drivers frequently do not want to be held accountable for harming you and their insurance companies will do whatever possible to undervalue your financial recovery. That is where Burger Law steps up. Our car accident lawyer team empowers the injured and vulnerable in Hoffman Estates and throughout Northern Illinois to demand the best possible compensation for their damages, and we do not stop until you collect it. Your life can change in the bat of an eye because of another driver’s negligence, and Burger Law will fight by your side to make sure you get the justice and financial security you are owed for your motor vehicle wreck.

In over three decades of practice, our car accident lawyer team has gotten over $175 million in verdicts and settlements for our Illinois clients. If you were harmed because another driver was careless, learn the value of your case by filling out our complimentary personal injury calculator.

Common Causes of Car Accidents | Hoffman Estates, IL Car Accident Lawyer

There are countless ways that people can get hurt on the road. The National Safety Council has established 23 factors that commonly cause car wrecks. Below are some of the most common causes that your Burger Law car accident lawyer sees in Hoffman Estates, IL:

Driving While Intoxicated

Drunk driving and drug-impaired driving are chief causes of death and injury in motor vehicle accidents cases. About 28 people perish every day because of driving while intoxicated, or one person each 52 minutes. Drunk driving wrecks are one of the few cases in personal injury claims where you may also be able to recover punitive damages. When we sue drunk drivers on your behalf, we do it so they understand precisely how dangerous and irresponsible their behavior was.

Distracted Driving

The idea that we can multitask is a myth. While we may trust ourselves to multitask when driving, often as a time saving mechanism, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration attributed 3,142 fatalities to distracted driving in 2020. It is never worth those two extra minutes to finish eating breakfast in the car.

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

Speeding

According to reporting from 2020 Illinois Crash Facts and Statistics, of the 246,752 traffic crashes in Illinois, one-third involved speeding, including 37.3 percent of collisions that led to injury and almost half of fatal crashes. Speeding is hazardous because it significantly lessens the reaction time of both the negligent driver and others on the Hoffman Estates, IL roads, and it effects more force in accidents.

Drowsy Driving

While many people know about the hazards of distracted driving or driving while impaired, driving while drowsy has comparable effects to driving while drunk. Losing merely two hours of sleep is the the same as drinking three beers. Drivers should always 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 must obey in inclement weather, for example signaling long before turning in fog or expanding following distance when it is snowing. If another driver in Hoffman Estates, IL does not drive responsibly for weather conditions and hurts 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 says that faulty components were the chief factor in approximately 2 percent of motor vehicle accidents. Manufacturers must safely design vehicles, test them and issue recalls whenever a faulty components is found. 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.

Whatever the cause of your damages, the Hoffman Estates, IL car accident lawyer team of Burger Law will discover the reason your crash transpired, ascertain who is liable, hold them responsible and secure you the best possible compensation for your damages. We pride ourselves on offering skilled and compassionate legal advocacy to Hoffman Estates, IL individuals and families who have been harmed through no fault of their own, whatever of their economic status. If a thoughtless driver injured you, contact a Hoffman Estates, IL Burger Law car accident lawyer right away at (312) 500-HURT.

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

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

1. Duty of Care: Your car accident lawyer must demonstrate that the defendant had an obligation to value your safety. In motor vehicle collision cases this is automatic. The Illinois Vehicle Code (625 ILCS 5/11-1003.1) stipulates that drivers are “to exercise due care.” So anybody who drives automatically owes you a duty of care.
2. Breach of Duty: After establishing a duty of care, your car accident lawyer must show that the defendant neglected that duty. In motor vehicle collisions, 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 Hoffman Estates, IL car accident lawyer at Burger Law knows auto crash cases and how to investigate collisions to demonstrate how someone else was negligent and caused you harm.
3. Cause in Fact: Also referred to “causation,” you must demonstrate that the driver’s violation of duty directly caused your damages. Occasionally insurance companies try to argue that you already had your injuries, or that they are owing to weakening with old age. Your car accident lawyer at Burger Law knows how to prove exactly how the collision caused your injuries. For instance, we can show through presentations and medical professionals’ official statements that your whiplash injury was caused by being rear-ended.
4. Proximate Cause: This is what finally confirms negligence. Imagine a scenario where somebody runs a stop light and hits you in an intersection, causing you injuries. If the driver was drunk, they are obviously to blame. If the other driver’s brakes were faulty and failed to function correctly, then a manufacturer, mechanic or vendor could be at fault in a product liability case.
5. Damages. The last aspect to demonstrate is that there was some type of loss, for example medical costs, emotional distress or lost wages or lost earning capacity. One of the largest benefits of hiring a car accident lawyer is that we know every sort of loss you are owed and know how to determine them. The defendant and their insurance company will try to diminish your damages, but the Hoffman Estates, IL car accident lawyer team of Burger Law will insist that you get full compensation.

Can I Still Get Compensation in Illinois if I Was Partially to Blame? | Hoffman Estates, IL Car Accident Lawyer

If you were partially to blame for your auto wreck in Hoffman Estates, IL, your car accident lawyer will still be able to secure you compensation, yet the total will be less. Illinois is a modified contributory fault state, which means that your compensation will be reduced by the percentage of liability you share in your crash.

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

Shifting fault onto you is a familiar tactic insurance adjusters employ to devalue claims or get out of paying them at all. The Hoffman Estates, IL car accident lawyer team of Burger Law fights back against bullies like insurance companies who use unethical ploys to eschew their duty to pay you the money you are rightfully owed. If an insurance company in Hoffman Estates, IL is unjustly attempting to place fault for your accident on you, call a Burger Law car accident lawyer now at (312) 500-HURT.

How Much Time Do I Have to File an Injury Claim in Illinois? | Hoffman Estates, IL Car Accident Lawyer

After an injury in a traffic collision, the state of Illinois’s statute of limitations stipulates how long you have after the injuries occur to make your claim.

• Generally speaking, Illinois Compiled Statute §735 ILCS 5/13-202 stipulates that you have two years after the date of the injury 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 accident.
• 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 the injury was sustained by a minor, they have up to two years after the date of their 18th birthday 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 injured in an auto collision, the clock is already winding down for when you can file your claim. Do not hesitate, reach out to a Burger Law car accident lawyer now at (312) 500-HURT to get justice and the best possible financial recovery for your injuries. We get to work on your claim at once and do not let up until we win your case.

How to Avoid Auto Accidents | Hoffman Estates, IL Car Accident Lawyer

Over 75 percent of people killed in traffic crashes are drivers. Every Burger Law car accident lawyer has seen with their own eyes the wreckage that a careless driver can cause. While you cannot always control other people’s actions, there are numerous measures you can take to ensure your own safety in addition to the safety of others on the Hoffman Estates, IL roadways.

• Always use a seatbelt. In 2017, seatbelts saved an estimated 14,955 lives. Over four-fifths of drivers and passengers who are entirely thrown out of the vehicle die, and the majority of the rest experienced grave, life-changing injuries. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that wearing a seatbelt lowers the risk of death by 45 percent and moderate to critical injury by 50 percent.
• Be familiar with the laws and best driving practices. The Illinois Secretary of State has published a Quick Guide to Safe Driving for anyone on the Hoffman Estates, 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 protect you from liability or being partially blamed for an accident if you do find yourself in one.
• If you are a motorcyclist, use a helmet. While Hoffman Estates, 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 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, turn the volume up 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 need to be respectful 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 prime concern. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, almost 25 percent of auto deaths are people under the age of 25. A less cautious attitude is probably a contributing factor.
• Drive with both hands on the wheel. Just driving with one hand can significantly lessen your control of the car. Quickly changing the radio is likely 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 substantially impede your ability to drive safely, but it also boosts your confidence and makes you feel more powerful, so you might think driving while drunk will be fine. Your brain may deceive you into thinking you can drive home safely, but it is never the case.

You can take every precaution imaginable when driving, but regrettably the careless behavior of irresponsible drivers can still cause you harm. When you get hurt because somebody else broke the rules of the road, you are entitled to maximum compensation for all of your damages. Every Hoffman Estates, 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 Hoffman Estates, IL

You should never have had to carry the economic, physical and emotional burden of another person’s selfish choices and careless behavior. Fortunately, the law offers an avenue for restitution, but you only have one chance to achieve it. Trust in a car accident lawyer in Hoffman Estates, IL who has gotten results and won tough cases before. Burger Law persistently pursues lawsuits so insurance companies know we will settle for nothing but the best possible financial recovery. We intimidate insurance companies because they know we use our hard work, knowledge, experience, grit and commitment to always deliver the best possible results for our Hoffman Estates, IL clients and see them made whole again. When you hire a Burger Law car accident lawyer, we get to work on your case right away and do not rest until you get the full financial recovery you are owed. Call a Burger Law car accident lawyer in Hoffman Estates, IL immediately at (312) 500-HURT or fill out our online form for a free consultation.

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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