Car Accident Lawyer Lincolnwood, IL

Car Accident Lawyer in Lincolnwood, IL. If you were injured on the road because of another person’s negligence in Lincolnwood, IL, call a Burger Law car accident lawyer immediately at (312) 500-HURT or contact us online for a complimentary consultation. We help our clients in Lincolnwood and anywhere in Northern Illinois collect great compensation for their damages. You do not owe us any fees until we win your case.

In an ideal world, everyone would drive in a safe manner and no one would get injured. In a somewhat less perfect world, when people injure others they would admit culpability for their actions and their insurance company would give you fair compensation without you having to argue with them. In the real world, at-fault drivers all too often do not want to be held accountable for harming you and their insurance companies will do anything possible to minimize your payout. That is where Burger Law steps up. Our car accident lawyer team supports the injured and vulnerable in Lincolnwood and throughout Northern Illinois in insisting on maximum compensation for their injuries, and we do not stop until you collect it. Your life can change in a split second because of another driver’s negligence, and Burger Law is here to ensure you get the justice and financial security you deserve for your damages.

In more than three decades of practice, our car accident lawyer team has delivered over $175 million in verdicts and settlements for our Illinois clients. If you were hurt because another driver broke the rules of the road, find out how much your case may be worth by using our complimentary personal injury calculator.

How Common are Car Accidents in Lincolnwood and Illinois?

According to reporting from Illinois Department of Transportation, in 2020 there were 246,752 traffic crashes in the state, which led to 72,989 injuries and 1,195 fatalities. In 2021, nearly half of fatal wrecks transpired in urban locales like Chicago and Cook County. Over one-fourth of Chicago and Illinois accidents involved alcohol and over a third of the motorists who perished 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 accident that may be unpreventable, such as an animal running out in front of your automobile, close to every Lincolnwood, IL auto accident is preventable. Human error is the foremost cause of auto collisions, as it contributes to 94 percent of wrecks. When you are left to pick up the pieces after you are hurt owing to a driver’s inattention or irresponsible behavior, you may undergo a wide array of emotions, which could include vulnerability, fear and doubt about how you will pay for all the medical costs, especially if you have lost wages. You do not have to go it alone. Every car accident lawyer at Burger Law has committed their life to offering professional and empathetic support and legal counsel to injured residents of Lincolnwood, IL. We will help protect you and your family’s future by getting you the best possible financial recovery not only for your medical expenses, but for any emotional or physical pain and suffering and inconvenience you experienced. Call us straight away at (312) 500-HURT to start on your road to recovery.

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

There are countless ways in which people can become hurt on the road. The National Safety Council has picked out 23 factors that commonly cause motor vehicle collisions. Below are some of the most common causes that your Burger Law car accident lawyer sees in Lincolnwood, IL:

Drunk Driving

Drunk driving and drug-impaired driving are chief causes of death and injury in auto crashes cases. About 28 people perish each day because of drunk driving, or one person each 52 minutes. Drunk driving crashes are one of the few cases in personal injury claims where you could also be able to get punitive damages. When we sue drunk drivers on your behalf, we do it so they see precisely how dangerous and reckless their behavior was.

Distracted Driving

The idea that we can multitask is a misconception. While we may think we can multitask when driving, 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 reduce a driver’s reaction time worse than when they are drunk.

Speeding

According to reporting from 2020 Illinois Crash Facts and Statistics, of the 246,752 motor vehicle crashes in Illinois, one-third involved speeding, including 37.3 percent of accidents that resulted in injury and 44.9 percent of deadly wrecks. Speeding is hazardous because it substantially lessens the reaction time of both the liable driver and others on the Lincolnwood, IL roads, and it produces more force in crashes.

Drowsy Driving

While many people are aware of the hazards of distracted driving or drunk driving, driving while sleep deprived has comparable effects to driving while impaired. Missing out on just two hours of sleep is the equivalent of 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 sets clear safety procedures that drivers have to obey in inclement weather, for example using turn signals long before making a turn in fog or increasing following distance when it is snowing. If another person in Lincolnwood, IL does not account 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 found that faulty components were the critical cause in approximately 2 percent of auto wrecks. Manufacturers must safely design vehicles, test them and issue recalls whenever a defective components is reported. If your injuries were due to faulty brakes or an airbag that did not deploy, your Burger Law car accident lawyer will help you make a claim against a manufacturer.

Regardless of the cause of your damages, the Lincolnwood, IL car accident lawyer team of Burger Law will discover the reason your crash occurred, ascertain who is at fault, hold them responsible and get you maximum compensation for your injuries. We pride ourselves on offering qualified and understanding legal representation to Lincolnwood, IL individuals and families who have been injured through no fault of their own, no matter of their financial standing. If a careless driver harmed you, reach out to a Lincolnwood, IL Burger Law car accident lawyer today at (312) 500-HURT.

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

In order to prove your claim, your car accident lawyer will have to demonstrate 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 traffic collision cases this is automatic. The Illinois Vehicle Code (625 ILCS 5/11-1003.1) specifies that motorists 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 violated that duty. In auto crashes, there can be egregious cases such as driving while intoxicated or reckless driving, and there can be less obvious cases such as driving too fast for weather conditions. Your Lincolnwood, IL car accident lawyer at Burger Law knows all the rules of the road 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 show that the driver’s violation of duty directly caused your injury. Frequently insurance companies try to tell you that you already had your injuries, or that they are because of degeneration with old age. Your car accident lawyer at Burger Law knows how to demonstrate exactly how the collision caused your injuries. For example, we can show through presentations and medical expert testimony that your whiplash injury was caused by being rear-ended.
4. Proximate Cause: This is what finally confirms liability. Imagine a situation where somebody runs a red light and hits you in an intersection, leading to your injuries. If the driver was distracted, they are obviously to blame. If the other driver’s brakes were inherently dangerous and failed to function correctly, then a manufacturer, mechanic or vendor could be liable in a product liability suit.
5. Damages. The final facet to demonstrate is that there was some kind of loss, which can include medical costs, emotional agony or time away from work because of your injury. One of the best advantages to hiring a car accident lawyer is that we know every category of damage you deserve and know how to asses them. The defendant and their insurance company will try to minimize your damages, but the Lincolnwood, IL car accident lawyer team of Burger Law will demand that you recover maximum compensation.

Can I Still Get Compensation in Illinois if I Was Partially Liable? | Lincolnwood, IL Car Accident Lawyer

If you were partly liable for your motor vehicle accident in Lincolnwood, IL, your car accident lawyer will still be able to get you compensation, although the sum will be less. Illinois is a modified contributory fault state, which means that your recovery will be decreased by the percentage of fault you share in your wreck.

Meaning, if you are awarded $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 all of a sudden, 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 share over 50 percent liable for the collision, you will not be able to be awarded any compensation in Lincolnwood or anywhere Illinois.

Transferring responsibility onto you is a familiar tactic insurance companies employ to diminish claims or get out of paying them at all. The Lincolnwood, IL car accident lawyer team of Burger Law pushes back against bullies like insurance companies who employ devious ploys to eschew their responsibility to reimburse you what you are rightfully owed. If an insurance company in Lincolnwood, IL is wrongfully trying to place fault for your collision on you, call a Burger Law car accident lawyer now at (312) 500-HURT.

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

After an injury in an auto wreck, the state of Illinois’s statute of limitations lays out how long you have after the injuries occur to make your claim.

• Generally speaking, Illinois Compiled Statute §735 ILCS 5/13-202 states that you have two years after the date of the injury 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 date of the deceased’s death – not the crash.
• If your claim is only related to property damage, you have five years from the date of your accident to make a claim, under Illinois Compiled Statute §735 ILCS 13-205.
• Pursuant to Illinois Compiled Statute §735 ILCS 13-211, if if a minor was hurt, 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 of the accident, they have until two years following the date the “disability is removed.”

If you have been injured in an auto crash, the clock is already winding down for when you can bring your claim. Do not wait, call a Burger Law car accident lawyer now at (312) 500-HURT to get justice and maximum compensation for your injuries. We get to work on your case straight away and do not give up until we win your case.

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

More than 75 percent of people who perish in auto collisions are drivers. Every Burger Law car accident lawyer has seen with their own eyes the havoc that a negligent driver can cause. While you cannot always control other people’s actions, there are various actions you can take to ensure your own safety as well as the safety of others on the Lincolnwood, IL streets.

• Always use a seatbelt. In 2017, seatbelts saved an estimated 14,955 lives. Over four-fifths of drivers and passengers who are entirely ejected from the vehicle die, and the majority of the rest sustained significant, life-changing injuries. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that wearing a seatbelt decreases the risk of death by 45 percent and moderate to critical injury by 50 percent.
• Know the laws and best driving practices. The Illinois Secretary of State has published a Quick Guide to Safe Driving for anyone on the Lincolnwood, IL roads. Fundamental suggestions 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 liability or being partially blamed for a collision if you do find yourself in one.
• If you drive a motorcycle, wear a helmet. While Lincolnwood, IL does not have laws requiring motorcycle drivers to use helmets, they are literal life-savers. 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 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, turn the volume up 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. We all share the road, and we all should 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 priority. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, almost a quarter of traffic deaths are people under the age of 25. A less cautious attitude is probably a contributing factor.
• Keep both hands on the wheel. Just having one hand on the wheel can substantially diminish your control of the car. 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 considerably diminish your ability to operate a motor vehicle 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 trick you into thinking 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 negligent behavior of irresponsible drivers can still hurt you. When you get hurt because someone else broke the rules of the road, you are owed complete compensation for all of your damages. Every Lincolnwood, IL car accident lawyer at Burger Law takes on and wins the tough cases, and knows how to get 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

You should never have had to carry the financial, physical and emotional hardships of somebody else’s poor choices and irresponsible behavior. Fortunately, the law provides an avenue for restitution, however you only have one opportunity to get it. Trust in a car accident lawyer in Lincolnwood, IL who has gotten results and won complex cases before. Burger Law aggressively pursues litigation so insurance companies know we will take nothing but the best possible financial recovery. Insurance companies fear us because they know we use our hard work, savvy, experience, determination and commitment to consistently deliver the best possible results for our Lincolnwood, IL clients and see them made whole again. When you hire a Burger Law car accident lawyer, we get started on your case at once and do not let up until you get the full financial recovery you are owed. Call a Burger Law car accident lawyer in Lincolnwood, IL today at (312) 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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