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(314) 500-HURTDrunk Driving Accident Lawyers in Buffalo Grove, IL. If you or a loved one was injured because someone else broke the rules of the road and got behind the wheel drunk, call the Buffalo Grove, IL drunk driving accident lawyers immediately at (312) 500-HURT or contact us online for a free case review. We serve the injured and vulnerable in Buffalo Grove and throughout Illinois by standing up to bullies and getting them the financial recovery they deserve.
You can follow all the rules of the road, but thoughtless drivers can still put you in harm’s way and unfairly injure you. Whether you were on your way to a sports game or just running errands, your life was unexpectedly capsized through no fault of your own. The Buffalo Grove, IL drunk driving accident lawyers at Burger Law truly care about out clients and their cases and families mean something to us. We know the medical bills keep coming in, you you cannot earn a living right now and everything seems different than it was just a short while ago. You do not have to go through this alone. With the compassions, skill and forceful legal advocacy of our drunk driving accident lawyers, this too shall pass.
In our more than 30 years of experience, we have recovered more than $175 million in verdicts and settlements that the vulnerable in Buffalo Grove and throughout Illinois and Missouri were owed. Our case reviews are no-risk, no-obligation, and you do not owe us a thing until you receive the settlement check you deserve.
If you were hurt by a reckless drunk driver, find out how much your claim may be worth by filling out our free personal injury calculator.
Law enforcement will likely file charges against the drunk driver who caused the accident. Still, you will still need a personal injury lawyer to confront the drunk driver in civil court and get you a financial recovery for all of your damages. Talented, seasoned and tenacious drunk driving accident lawyers can ensure you get the best possible financial recovery by:
At Burger Law, we have over 30 years of experience handling all types of auto accident claims and getting full compensation for our clients.
The only way to know when to hire a personal injury lawyer is by having a professional examine the details of your accident. If the driver accepts liability and your injuries are minor and do not require much medical treatment, a lawyer likely will not be able to add much value to your claim. However, there are many situations in which a drunk driving accident lawyer is the only way to get fair compensation:
At Burger Law, our consultations and initial investigations are free. Call us now at (312) 500-HURT to speak for a candid conversation with a drunk driving accident lawyer experienced with Illinois laws who will be honest with you about whether you need an attorney to get the best results in your case.
Understanding just how bad the problem of drinking and driving can be incredibly sobering. Every day 28 people die in accidents caused by drunk drivers, or about one fatality every 52 minutes. While drunk driving accidents and fatalities have consistently become less common since 1982, drunk drivers are still responsible for three-tenths of all auto related fatalities. While safe driving campaigns and strict punishments for drunk driving have definitely done a lot to make our roads safer, some careless Buffalo Grove, IL residents still make the irresponsible decision to disregard others’ well-being just so they party and skip on paying for a rideshare. If you are hurt as a result, you are owed a full financial recovery and the reckless driver needs to pay for breaking the rules. The Buffalo Grove, IL drunk driving accident lawyers at Burger Law will fight to make sure that you receive maximum compensation for your medical expenses, lost wages and pain and suffering.
The Illinois 2020 Crash Facts states that almost one-fifth of the 1,088 fatal crashes in the state involved a drunk driver. Alcohol was found in the symptoms of over a third of 448 deceased drivers who were tested.
While it is only illegal to drink and drive if your blood alcohol concentration is more than .008 percent, a level of just .02 percent is enough to significantly impair someone’s ability to drive. At .02 percent blood alcohol concentration you experience a decline in sight, inability to perform two tasks simultaneously, exaggerated confidence and loss of judgment. At .05 percent – the product of roughly three drinks – someone experiences reduced coordination, inability to track movement, challenges maneuvering and not being able to respond quickly to emergency situations. It is crucial to do you part in protecting other drivers, passengers and pedestrians and have a back up plan if you have had too much to drink. Unfortunately, sometimes you can do everything possible to stay safe and still experience the horrible and unfair consequences of a dangerous Buffalo Grove, IL motorist making a selfish decision, getting behind the wheel drunk and hurting you or a loved one. Just knowing the harsh penalties that come with a DWI conviction is not enough. You need the savvy and proficient Buffalo Grove, IL drunk driving accident lawyers of Burger law to to see things made right. Call Burger Law today at (312) 500-HURT to discuss your options and begin on the path to feeling that true justice was done.
Pursuant to 625 ILCS 5/11-501 of the Illinois Vehicle Code, driving while drunk on under the influence of drugs is a Class A Misdemeanor. However, a drunk driving becomes “aggravated driving under the influence” and a Class 4 Felony if:
Other instances in which it is a more serious crime are:
There are five elements needed in order to prove negligence in a personal injury claim:
There are two factors that make drunk driving accident cases different from most other personal injury claims. Firstly, 625 ILCS 5/11-1003.1 stipulates that people who get behind the wheel of a vehicle are to “exercise due care to avoid colliding” with other cars, pedestrians and bicyclists. Meaning you do not have to prove the driver owed you a duty of care, as it is already stipulated under the law. Secondly, the legal philosophy of negligence per se means that anyone who violates a state statute is automatically considered to have breached their duty of care. Therefore, in drunk driving cases the first two elements are taken care of as long as you have evidence that the driver was inebriated. All your drunk driving accident lawyers will need to prove is that the driver caused the accident and that that is how you sustained your injuries.
None of that means you should take the success of your case for granted; the insurance company will still be motivated to pay you as little as possible. That is why it is vital to have passionate and skilled Buffalo Grove, IL drunk driving accident lawyers to stand up to bullies and fight until you get the best results in your claim.
A driver is not the only one who may be held responsible in your case. Other third parties include:
Many states have what is called a dram shop law, under which you may be able sue a bar or restaurant after a drunk driving accident if you were hurt. Illinois’ dram shop laws are explained in 235 ILCS 5/6-15 of the Illinois Liquor Control Act. Illinois’ dram shop law more liberal than many other states’ in that the drunk driver did not have to show significant impairment when they were sold alcohol in order for the vendor to be liable. You just have to show:
You can only sue a social host — meaning someone who holds a private party — if the person who caused your accident was under the age of 21 and became drunk at the party.
Every year the Illinois Comptroller sets dram shop liability limits on how much compensation you can receive in a dram shop case. As of Jan. 20, 2022, those limits are $77,787.30 for each person making a claim for the accident, or $95,073.37 if the accident caused loss of support or loss of society due to the wrongful death of a loved one.
If the driver was driving someone else’s car, the owner may also owe you compensation. In a negligent entrustment case, it is negligent to permit a third person to use something which is under the control of the actor if that would create an unreasonable risk of harm to others. In a drunk driving accident case in Buffalo Grove, IL, that means that you must show that the owner of the vehicle purposely gave the keys to the drunk driver, and that the owner knew or should have known that the driver was too drunk to drive.
If you were injured by someone who earns a living as a driver, such as in a truck accident, bus accident or rideshare accident, the driver’s employer may be partially to blame. Examples of negligence on the part of the employer could include:
Experienced Buffalo Grove, IL drunk driving accident lawyers like those at Burger Law have seen all of these types of cases and know how to get results in them. When you hire us, we start investigating your case immediately to determine as many liable parties as possible.
Civil claims in the United States are based on the principle of being made whole. The concept is that when a person or organization injures you, you should be compensated to the extent that returns you to your state before the other person’s negligence. In many car accident claims, for example a a low-speed crash in a parking lot, that might mean paying money you lost from work while recovering, chiropractic appointments and the pain and inconvenience that is a result of rehabilitating from a neck injury for a relatively short period of time. In the most tragic cases, for example if you or a loved one becomes paralyzed, no financial recovery can truly compensate you, but the financial recovery should be high enough to encapsulate the terrible loss you have sustained.
There are three categories of damages in a personal injury claim:
In the case of future medical costs or lost earning capacity, drunk driving accident lawyers will make sure the recovery adjusts for inflation as well.
In addition, our Buffalo Grove, IL attorneys have decades of experience winning cases in:
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We hate bullies, including irresponsible drivers who do not want to take responsibility for their actions and resistant insurance companies focus more on their profits than doing the right thing. For that reason, each of our Buffalo Grove-based drunk driving accident lawyers in Illinois has pledged their education and abilities to defending the rights of the injured and vulnerable. You will not see us on TV commercials or billboards. When we are not investigating and litigating cases, our drunk driving accident lawyers are consistently honing our lawyer skills to get great recoveries for our clients in Buffalo Grove and throughout Illinois. We know your actions did not cause this trying time; someone else’s irresponsible decisions did. For the highest standard of legal advocacy, call the Buffalo Grove, IL drunk driving accident lawyers of Burger Law today at (312) 500-HURT or fill out our online form.
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This page has been written, edited, and reviewed by a team of legal writers following our comprehensive editorial guidelines. This page was approved by Founding Partner, Gary Burger who has more than 30 years of legal experience as a practicing personal injury trial attorney. Gary’s robust legal knowledge is recognized by his peers as demonstrated by his industry awards and frequent Continuing Legal Education (CLE) lectures.
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