Drunk Driving Accident Lawyers Freeport, IL

Making you whole again after someone else’s reckless decision left you to pick up the pieces

Drunk Driving Accident Lawyers in Freeport, 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 Freeport, IL drunk driving accident lawyers immediately at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a complimentary case evaluation. We serve the injured and vulnerable in Freeport 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 reckless drivers can still cause unimaginable devastation. Whether you were on your way to a sports game or lazily driving around on a Sunday, all of a sudden your entire life was capsized when you did nothing wrong. The Freeport, 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 may not be able to work because of your injuries and it is hard to get the same enjoyment out of life that you did just a short while ago. We will be by your side until things are made right again. With the compassions, knowledge and tenacious legal representation of our drunk driving accident lawyers, this too shall pass.

In our over 30 years of defending the rights of the injured, we have secured more than $175 million in verdicts and settlements for our Freeport, IL clients. Our case reviews are no-risk, no-obligation, and you do not owe us a thing until the final verdict or settlement has been reached.

If you were hurt by a selfish drunk driver, discover how much your injuries may be worth by utilizing our free personal injury calculator.

What Can Freeport, IL Drunk Driving Accident Lawyers Do for My Claim?

A prosecutor will likely file charges against the drunk driver who caused the accident. However, only a personal injury lawyer can get you full compensation for your injuries. Talented, veteran and tenacious drunk driving accident lawyers can ensure you get justice by:

• Investigating your claim thoroughly, including obtaining key evidence of culpability and your injuries
• Ensuring you get the full medical treatment you need to recover
• Working alongside economic and medical experts to precisely value your damages
• Fighting back against the lies insurance companies use to avoid compensating you
• Proving negligence on the part of the intoxicated driver
• Negotiating for maximum compensation with the insurance company
• Filing a lawsuit when the insurance company is not being fair
• Taking your case to court if the insurance adjuster will not be fair in mediation
• Fighting on your behalf until you are made whole again

At Burger Law, we have over 30 years of experience handling all types of auto accident claims and getting full compensation for our clients.

Do I Need Freeport, IL Drunk Driving Accident Lawyers for My Claim?

That depends on the specifics of your case, and if you have never had to hire an attorney before it may be difficult to decide when to hire a personal injury lawyer. If the driver is taking responsibility for his actions and your injuries are minor and do not require much medical treatment, you may very well be able to get a fair settlement offer from the insurance company. However, many other circumstances require an attorney for the best results:

• The drunk driver will not take responsibility for their actions. Drunk drivers who cause injuries will probably be prosecuted, and may not want to admit liability in order to not face fines, a suspended license and possibly jail time. While while not every drunk driver is found guilty, you can still sue a drunk driver if they were found not guilty in their criminal case. Experienced drunk driving accident lawyers will know how to utilize the law in order to prove that the defendant were drunk and injured you.
• The insurance adjuster refuses to offer a full settlement. Ideally insurance companies would fulfill their commitment when one of their policyholders decides to make a selfish decision that winds up injuring you, an insurance adjusters real job is to save the company money, not fairly compensate you. Even in the event that the driver is willing to be held accountable, the insurance company might try to say that your injuries were not actually caused by the accident or you only have a limited amount of time to accept their low offer. Those are all lies, and a skilled drunk driving accident lawyer will fight back and let the insurance adjuster know we mean business.
• The drunk driver is not the only one responsible. While a drunk driver is clearly to blame, other parties may bear partial responsibility, such as the driver’s employer. Drunk driving accident lawyers will thoroughly investigate your claim and identify anyone who bears responsibility for the accident. Finding other liable parties is vital when the policy limits are not sufficient to pay for the full scope of your injuries.
• Your injuries will incur future medical expenses. The more severe your injuries the higher your medical bills will be, which makes calculating the full value of your damages more challenging, and will cause the insurance company to fight back against giving you a fair settlement. Aggressive and knowledgeable drunk driving accident lawyers will not only ensure you receive the entirety of your damages, but we will ensure you receive all of the medical you need to recover.

At Burger Law, there is no risk or obligation when talking to us. Reach out to us now at (314) 500-HURT to talk for a candid conversation with a drunk driving accident lawyer experienced with Illinois laws who will be honest with you about whether the insurance company is offering a fair settlement.

How Common is Drunk Driving in Freeport, IL and the U.S.?

Drunk driving statistics can be pretty sobering. Every day 28 people die in accidents caused by drunk drivers, or about one death every 52 minutes. While drunk driving accidents and deaths have consistently become less common since 1982, drunk drivers still account for almost a third of total traffic fatalities as of 2018. While organizations such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving and strict punishments for drunk driving have certainly helped, some selfish Freeport, IL individuals still decide to put others at risk while not understanding or not caring about the potential consequences of their actions. When that happens and you or a loved one are injured, you deserve to be justly reimbursed with a maximum recovery and the negligent driver needs to be held responsible for breaking the rules. The Freeport, IL drunk driving accident lawyers at Burger Law will make sure both of those things come true.

The Illinois 2020 Crash Facts found that almost one-fifth of the 1,088 accidents that caused fatalities in the state involved alcohol. Of 448 deceased drivers who were tested for alcohol, over a third tested positive.

Alcohol’s Impact on Driving Abilities | Freeport, IL Drunk Driving Accident Lawyers

While the legal limit for alcohol consumption before driving is .08 percent blood alcohol concentration, a level of only .02 percent is sufficient to greatly reduce someone’s ability to drive. At .02 percent blood alcohol concentration you experience a decline in sight, inability to do two things at once, an altered mood and poor judgment. At .05 percent – reached after approximately three alcohol beverages – a driver experiences lowered coordination, reduced ability to follow moving objects, challenges using the steering wheel and not being able to respond quickly to emergency situations. It is vital to follow proper road safety and find other ways of getting home if you are intoxicated. Regrettably, sometimes you can do everything possible to stay safe and still be left reeling from the devastating consequences of a thoughtless Freeport, IL motorist not caring about the rules, driving while intoxicated and injuring you or someone you care about. Just knowing that the person who hurt you will face harsh consequences in a criminal case is not enough. You need the experienced and tenacious Freeport, IL drunk driving accident lawyers of Burger law to to see things made right. Call Burger Law today at (314) 500-HURT to find out the best way to proceed and begin on the road to recovery.

Drunk Driving Laws in Freeport and Illinois

Pursuant to 625 ILCS 5/11-501 of the Illinois Vehicle Code, drunk or drug impaired driving is a Class A Misdemeanor. However, a DUI becomes “aggravated driving under the influence” and a Class 4 Felony if:

• The driver had more than two previous DUI offenses
• An accident occurred that lead to great bodily harm, permanent disability or disfigurement to someone else
• The driver caused an accident in a school zone that resulted in bodily harm

Other instances in which it is a more serious crime are:

• Class 2 Felony for a third and fourth DUI
• Class 1 Felony for a fifth DUI
• Class X Felony for sixth and later violations

How Do You Prove a Drunk Driving Accident Claim in Freeport, IL?

There are five elements needed in order to prove negligence in a personal injury claim:

1. Duty of Care — That the defendant was required to act in a certain, safe way.
2. Breach of Duty — That the driver failed or was negligent in that duty.
3. Cause in Fact — That the accident led to your injuries.
4. Proximate Cause — That the accident would not have happened but for the defendant’s breach of duty.
5. Damages — That the accident led to tangible loss, such as economic damages like medical bills as well as emotional distress. It is important to mention that in personal injury claims you cannot secure a financial recovery for noneconomic damages if you have not sustained economic damages.

There are two factors that make drunk driving accident claims different from most other personal injury claims. Firstly, 625 ILCS 5/11-1003.1 dictates that motorists have an obligation to “exercise due care to avoid colliding” with pedestrians or other vehicles. 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 stipulates that anyone who violates a state statute automatically did not act in a reasonable manner to avoid injuring you. Therefore, in drunk driving cases the first two elements are taken care of as long as you have evidence that the driver was intoxicated. All your drunk driving accident lawyers will need to show at that point is that the accident caused your injuries and that you incurred losses as a result.

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 imperative to have committed and experienced Freeport, IL drunk driving accident lawyers to fight on your behalf and get the best results in your claim.

Who Else Can I Sue for My Drunk Driving Accident Injuries in Freeport, IL?

A driver is not the only one who may be held accountable in your case. Other third parties include:

A Bar, Restaurant or Social Host

Dram shop laws permit you to sue a licensed alcohol vendor after a drunk driving accident if you sustained injuries. Illinois’ dram shop laws are stipulated in 235 ILCS 5/6-15 of the Illinois Liquor Control Act. Illinois’ dram shop law more liberal than many other states’ in that your drunk driving accident lawyers do not have to prove the vendor did anything wrong, such as sell alcohol to a visibly intoxicated person. You just have to demonstrate:

• That a vendor-patron relationship existed, which you can demonstrate through security footage, receipts or eyewitness depositions
• That the customer they supplied alcohol to was responsible for the drunk driving accident
• That the the patron became inebriated because of the alcohol that was sold to him

You can only sue a social host — meaning someone who supplies their private guests with alcohol — if the person who caused your accident was not of legal age to drink and became inebriated at the private residence.

Each year the Illinois Comptroller places dram shop liability limits on the maximum amount of money a person or organization can be required to pay in a dram shop claim. As of Jan. 20, 2022, the maximum is $77,787.30 for each person making a claim for the accident, or $95,073.37 if the accident led to loss of support or loss of society a family member’s wrongful death.

The Owner of the Vehicle

If the driver of the vehicle was not the owner of the vehicle, the owner may be responsible for some of your damages. According to the practice of negligent entrustment, a person may be liable if they permit a third person to use something which is under the control of the actor if if permitting the activity creates an inherent risk. In a drunk driving accident case in Freeport, 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 had had to much too drink.

The Driver’s Employer

If you were injured by someone who works as a driver, such as in a truck accident, bus accident or rideshare accident, the driver’s employer may have some liability. Examples of negligence on the part of the employer could include:

• Failure to perform a sufficient background check
• Ignoring alcohol-related offenses in the background check
• Ignoring previous instances of drunk driving
• Not complying with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s drug testing rules

Experienced Freeport, IL drunk driving accident lawyers like those at Burger Law have experience with all of these types of claims and know how to hold the appropriate parties liable. When you hire us, we start investigating your claim immediately to find everyone who is responsible for your injuries.

What Damages Are Available for My Freeport, IL Drunk Driving Accident Injuries?

Tort claims in the United States are based on the principle of being made whole. “Being made whole” means that when another party injures you, you should be paid a dollar amount commensurate to the extent of your damages. In many car accident claims, for example a a low-speed crash in a parking lot, that might mean paying for lost wages, follow-up doctors’ appointments and the pain and inconvenience involved with rehabilitating from a neck injury for a few months. In the most destructive cases, for example if you or a loved one loses a limb, no financial recovery can genuinely make you whole, but the settlement or verdict should be great enough to provide a least some sense of justice.

There are three categories of damages in a personal injury claim:

1. Economic damages — This the totaling of all the bills and lost income related to your accident. It is a non-arguable dollar figure. Examples include:
   • Medical expenses — That includes any treatment the day of the injury, surgeries, prescription or over-the-counter meds, physical rehabilitation appointments and in-home nursing. You will also receive compensation for any treatment, joint replacements or replacement assistive devices you may need in the future.
   • Lost wages and lost earning capacity — Lost wages refer to the pay you lost from not being able to work while you recovered. If your injury resulted in a disability that no longer permits you to work, you will also be compensated for the wages you would have made in the future, but for the injuries.
   • Out-of-pocket expenses — If you had to pay for transportation to and from medical appointments, or had to send your child to daycare because you could not look after them, you need a financial recovery for that too.

   If we have to take into consideration future medical bills or lost earning capacity, drunk driving accident lawyers will refer to their network of economic experts to be able to precisely account for inflation.

2. Noneconomic damages — 735 ILCS 5/2-1115.2 defines noneconomic damages as “intangible” damages, “including but not limited to”:
   • Pain and suffering refers to the physical and mental effects on your well-being, which can be anything anything from difficulty turning your head to the emotional impact of not being able to engage in the same activities anymore.
   • Disability for any life-long physical or cognitive difficulties the accident caused.
   • Disfigurement if your injuries caused lasting scarring or loss of limb.
   • Loss of consortium if you or a loved one’s injuries prevent you and your significant other from the affection and intimate relationships you once shared.
   • Loss of society if the injuries impede you from giving or your loved ones from receiving the same advice and care that was once offered.
3. Punitive damages — These are rarely awarded in personal injury compensation, and are intended to punish the defendant and deter future misbehavior. When we make a claim against drunk drivers, we always seek punitive damages. Not only does that increase your financial recovery, but it also motivates the insurance company to be fair as there is no coverage for punitive damages According to 735 ILCS 5/2-604.1, you and your drunk driving accident lawyers may be awarded punitive damagers in personal injury claims for especially dangerous conduct. It is clear to us that anyone who gets behind the wheel while intoxicated is demonstrating a flagrant disregard your safety.

In addition, we have extensive experience winning the following cases for our Freeport, IL clients:

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Freeport, IL Drunk Driving Accident Lawyers | Burger Law

We cannot stand bullies, including selfish drivers do not value other people’s safety and resistant insurance companies who care more about money than morals. That is why each of our Freeport-based drunk driving accident lawyers in Illinois has pledged their careers to fighting on behalf of the injured and vulnerable. We have no interest in TV commercials or billboards. When we are not investigating and litigating cases, our drunk driving accident lawyers are constantly fine-tuning our abilities to get the best results for our clients in Freeport and throughout Illinois. We know you deserve it because we know you did nothing to put yourself in this situation; someone else’s horrible actions did. For the highest standard of legal advocacy, call the Freeport, IL drunk driving accident lawyers of Burger Law today at (314) 500-HURT or fill out our online form.