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(314) 500-HURTWhen your worst nightmare comes to life and your loved one is killed in a fatal car accident, hire experienced and compassionate fatal car accident wrongful death lawyers in Pontiac, IL as soon as possible to handle your entire legal claim. Call Burger Law now at (314) 500-HURT or fill out this form to speak to a skilled Pontiac, IL fatal car accident lawyer about your case for free.
Though no amount of money could even come close to equalling the value of your loved one’s life, collecting compensation for your losses after someone else’s negligent behavior kills your loved one can help you and your family in the weeks, months and years following the accident. Burger Law’s wrongful death lawyers in Pontiac, IL have more than 70 years of experience representing families who have been hurt as a result of Pontiac, IL fatal car accidents and have a track record of helping our Pontiac, IL area clients receive the most possible compensation in their cases. Our skillful and dedicated negotiation and trial acumen have allowed us to help our clients recovery over $170 million in verdicts and settlements for their damages. With more than $170 million in verdicts and settlements returned to our deserving clients through our expert litigation and trial skills, we are the Pontiac, IL law firm positioned to help you and your family get complete reparations in your fatal car accident wrongful death claim in Pontiac, IL or anywhere in Missouri. Talk to a wrongful death lawyer in Pontiac, IL now at (314) 500-HURT.
We are a leading Pontiac, IL personal injury law firm staffed by a team of talented and passionate Pontiac, IL personal injury and wrongful death lawyers. Our mission is to defend the vulnerable, including survivors in Pontiac, IL who have lost a loved one to a fatal car accident. The outcome of your wrongful death case, the recovery you collect and your peace of mind and security for your future all depend upon the abilities of your fatal car accident lawyer. You must find a car accident lawyer near Pontiac, IL who not only possesses the litigation skills, wealth of resources and track record to win your case, but also is someone you can trust. Burger Law’s fatal car accident legal team in Pontiac, IL understands that what you are going through is unspeakably painful. We approach your case with compassion and revere the solemn responsibility of providing you with the same level of powerful legal representation that we would for our own families.
If your family member was killed by a reckless or negligent driver in a fatal car accident near Pontiac, IL, you may have the right to make an Illinois wrongful death claim. Illinois law on wrongful death allows those whose family member was killed due to another person’s negligence, in a fatal car accident or other type of accident, a path for legal recourse so you can be made whole again while holding the negligent party accountable for the harm they have caused.
Illinois Compiled Statutes 740 ILCS 180/ lays out the legal requirements for making a wrongful death claim in the state of Illinois. The statute identifies who is allowed to file a claim, what damages they may recover, how long they have to file a claim and other details related to filing a wrongful death suit in Illinois.
If your loved one was killed in a fatal car accident in Pontiac, IL, one of the first of many questions is whether you are legally allowed to make a wrongful death claim. If they are alive and able, the first choice for the plaintiff are the decedent’s surviving spouse and next of kin. When the decedent has no surviving spouse or next of kin, the court will name someone as personal representative — typically someone close to the decedent. Our experienced Pontiac, IL litigators have a deep understanding of Illinois law and use our expertise to ensure that you are compensated for the loss of your loved one and that the person responsible pays for the harm they have caused.
In filing a wrongful death claim, you will most certainly need an adept wrongful death lawyer in Pontiac, IL with experience fighting on behalf of families whose loved ones have been killed due to the negligence or poor decisions of another person, such as in a fatal car accident in Pontiac, IL. Burger Law has a team of determined wrongful death lawyers in Pontiac, IL with special backgrounds in car accident cases. Our Pontiac, IL attorneys take on and win tough fatal car accidents and other cases of tragic, preventable deaths in Pontiac, IL, helping our clients get the full compensation they need and deserve.
Burger Law is a leading Pontiac, IL personal injury and wrongful death law firm serving those who have been harmed by others in Pontiac, IL and across Illinois and other states. In our more than 25 years as a Pontiac, IL law firm, we have helped our clients recover more than $170 million in verdicts and settlements.
We mercilessly demand justice for victims in fatal car accidents in Pontiac, IL, and our clients’ case results reflect that tenacity. Hear from our clients directly by viewing our testimonials or you can read about a few of our recent successes below.
While does not even need to be said that there is not enough money in the world to replace the loss of a loved one after a fatal car accident in Pontiac, IL, you have a chance be compensated for your losses in the form of monetary compensation. By filing a wrongful death claim against the negligent parties, you have an opportunity to hold responsible the person or people who caused your loved one’s fatal car accident and to receive compensation for the losses you have experienced.
You have only one chance to receive a financial recovery after a fatal car accident in Pontiac, IL and you must make the most of it by turning to a skilled and successful wrongful death lawyer in the Pontiac, IL area. Burger Law’s team of winning wrongful death attorneys will demand the maximum possible recovery and will not stop until they pay.
Our Pontiac, IL attorneys have 70 years of combined experience recovering complete compensation for our clients through our tactful and unwavering demands. As one of the top Pontiac, IL wrongful death law firm, our team of lawyers knows the law well, including all the different damages for which you might be eligible for compensation. Our work is not over until you receive the full compensation you deserve.
Under Illinois law, you may be eligible to file a wrongful death suit if someone in your family was killed in a fatal car accident in Pontiac, IL or anywhere in Illinois. In order to receive the full recovery you and your family truly deserve, it is imperative that you have a talented Pontiac, IL fatal car accident lawyer leading the fight. Burger Law’s team of unrivaled Pontiac, IL lawyers are prepared to demand justice for you through full compensation by winning your Pontiac, IL wrongful death claim.
Illinois, contrary to some other states, imposes no cap or limit on the value of damages that can be rewarded to the claimants in a wrongful death case. While no amount of money could ever replace your loved one or their unique role in your life, filing a wrongful death claim for your loved one’s death in a fatal car accident in Pontiac, IL can accomplish the following things.
The law gives you only one chance to demand and collect full compensation in your Illinois wrongful death case, and only so much time to make a claim. Make the most of this chance to collect compensation that can support you and your family in the long term and help you lay your loved one to rest beautifully. Burger Law’s Pontiac, IL wrongful death lawyers will fight fiercely for you and demand the recovery you and your family deserve. Contact us today to speak to a lawyer about your case for free.
Any type of Pontiac, IL automotive crash has the potential to be fatal, especially when one or more of the vehicles involved are traveling at high speeds at the time of the impact. If you or a loved one are seriously injured or killed in a car accident in Pontiac, IL or elsewhere in Illinois, speak to a Pontiac, IL fatal car accident lawyer as soon as possible.
Burger Law’s passionate lawyers offer the best in legal representation from negotiations to trial. We are dedicated to protecting the wronged and making the negligent pay for the harm they have caused. When a car accident in Pontiac, Illinois becomes fatal, Burger Law’s Pontiac, IL fatal car accident attorneys pursue justice and the full available compensation for you. Get a free case review with an experienced car accident wrongful death lawyer in Pontiac, IL at (314) 500-HURT.
Though laws and advancements in safety technology and road design have improved immensely in the past decades, vehicles still have the potential to be deadly and destructive when a driver operates recklessly or with negligence. As motorists, we owe everyone around us a duty of care to operate safely and responsibly to prevent the risk of harming others. One lapse in judgment could mean a tragic, permanent loss.
Car accidents of all kinds of causes can become fatal, especially when high speeds and excessive force are involved. If someone in your family is in a fatal car accident in Pontiac, IL, call (314) 500-HURT right away. Below, our Pontiac, IL fatal car accident lawyers identify some of the most common causes of fatal car accidents in Pontiac, IL and throughout the US.
Distracted driving is a major threat to public safety, causing car accidents that result in severe injuries and even death. The CDC identifies three main types of distractions: visual, manual and cognitive. Humans naturally overestimate how well we can multitask. Doing anything that causes you you look at, handle, or think about anything other than driving — eating, brushing your hair, texting, talking to someone, smoking, looking at something else, reaching for something in the car or even just daydreaming — can distract a driver. Driving distracted impairs driving ability by reducing important abilities such as visibility, reaction time, attention and decision making.
A National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration study identified that driver inattention took place less than three seconds before 80% of car crashes, indicating that distracted driving is a major cause of car crashes. Distracted driving also leads to a significant number of fatal car accidents, resulting in more than 3,000 deaths in the United States every year, including 3,142 deaths caused by distracted driving fatal car accidents in 2020.
Speed limits exist to protect us. High-speed collisions increase the risk of injuries and fatalities in any car crash. Speeding is a factor in about one-third of all car accident fatalities in the United States every year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), equating nearly 10,000 deaths. The numbers in Illinois are even higher. According to the annual Illinois Car Crash Facts and Statistics manual, 39.2% of fatal car accidents in Illinois involved speeding.
Illinois State Police have identified that, in recent months, drivers are speeding at a higher rate in 65 mile per hour zones than in previous years, making collisions and fatalities more likely. While government entities and law enforcement have continued to work to discourage speeding and punish drivers who do speed, there will always be rule-breakers out there. If you lost a loved one in a speeding accident in Pontiac or anywhere in Illinois, call Burger Law’s fatal car accident lawyers as soon as possible.
It is no secret that drunk driving is dangerous and that driving under the influence is never a good idea. Yet, it still endangers and upheaves the lives of thousands of people in Pontiac, Illinois and the United States every year, though fortunately, fatal car accidents attributed to drunk drivers has decreased nationwide by 45% over the last forty years, since 1982 which is when the NHTSA began collecting data on alcohol-impaired driving.
In spite of the efforts of many organizations and legislators’ to highlight the dangers of drunk driving and discourage people from driving drunk, drunk driving is still a significant contributor to fatal car accidents in Illinois and the US. 28 people a day, or one person every 52 minutes, is killed in a drunk driving accident in the United States. While nationally drunk driving is the cause of 28% of all car crash fatalities, drunk driving leads to 30% of car crash deaths in the state of Illinois.
Though it is legal to drive with a blood alcohol content of less than .08, even a small amount of alcohol in the system can negatively affect a person’s driving capacity. In fact, in 2019 there were 1,755 people killed in fatal car accidents where the driver responsible for the accident had a legally acceptable BAC of between .01-.07.
Whether they broke the law on BAC limit or not, if someone chose to operate a vehicle after drinking and killed your loved one in a fatal car accident, something must be done to hold them accountable. Contact Burger Law’s Pontiac, IL wrongful death lawyers right away at (314) 500-HURT to help you hold the driver responsible for their reckless, dangerous behavior and secure the compensation you and your family need and deserve.
Drowsy driving is a dangerous habit that warrants a lot more urgency and concern than it currently gets. Historical data from the past decade tells us there ared around 800 fatal car accident deaths caused by drowsy driving in the US every year, which would translate to around 2.5% of car accident fatalities annually. However, studies believe that this rate does not tell the whole story, and that there are closer to more than 6,000 deaths caused by drowsy driving every year. Other key statistics support this agrument, such as 41% of drivers admitting that they have dozed off at the wheel at least once in their lives, and 27% of drivers having driven when they found it difficult to keep their eyes open within the past 30 days.
Scientific studies have likened the effects of fatigue or lack of sleep to being inebriated — causing impairments and behaviors such as delayed reaction times, diminished alertness and impaired decision-making abilities. Driving after 20 consecutive hours without sleep is essentially the same as operating with a .08 blood alcohol content, and the equivalent BAC rises exponentially from there. Even driving slightly sleepy, such as after sleeping for only five or six hours the prvious night, is also undeniably dangerous.
Advances in technology like corrective driving technologies in newer, smarter cars and community interventions and education propelled by nonprofit organizations and activist groups have worked toward reducing the impact of driving fatigued or otherwise impaired on the Pontiac, IL area community and the elsewhere across the country. You have a unique ability to take action and prrevent others from losing someone they love in a drowsy driving fatal car accident in Pontiac, IL by bringing a wrongful death claim against the drowsy driver who ended your loved one’s life. Burger Law’s Pontiac, IL wrongful death lawyers will help you win maximum compensation in your fatal car accident claim. Learn more at (314) 500-HURT.
Reckless driving, careless driving, aggressive driving — whatever you refer to it as, it is a problem. According to the NTSHA, aggressive driving plays a role in 56% of fatal car crashes. More than half of deadly crashes are associated despite the fact that it is virtually impossible to quantify and measure the full extent of aggressive driving occurrences. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety published a study that found that 87% of drivers admitted to engaging in risking driving behaviors at least once in the past month.
What exactly is aggressive driving? Reckless, aggressive driving manifests in all sorts of appalling behaviors. Some examples of reckless driving include racing, passing vehicles where passing is not permitted or safe, swerving, weaving in and out of traffic, failure to yield the right of way, and disobeying traffic signs, lights and other signals. The act of running red lights alone killed 846 people in 2019 in the United States.
When a driver gets a bad case of road rage, is running late, wants to evade the police, or is under the delusion that they are invincible and can do anything they want without being hurt, and makes the decision to drive aggressively, they endanger everyone around them. If an aggressive driver killed your loved one in a fatal car accident in Pontiac, IL, Burger Law’s wrongful death lawyers in Pontiac, IL demand justice. When such a senseless, avoidable tragedy takes a human life, we hold aggressive drivers accountable for the irreparable harm they have caused. Call (314) 500-HURT now to discuss your fatal car accident case in Pontiac, IL and get your family justice.
In addition, we have extensive experience winning the following cases for our Pontiac, IL clients:
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There is no right or wrong way to mourn or an expiration date for grieving a loved one. No matter how you deal with the loss of a family member after a fatal Pontiac, IL car accident, act quickly and call (314) 500-HURT to speak to the Pontiac, IL wrongful death lawyer who will fight for your family. Once you have a dedicated, determined and diligent wrongful death lawyer from Burger Law on your fatal car accident case, you do not have to worry about anything else. Grieve at your own pace while our fatal car accident legal team in Pontiac works hard to help you win your Pontiac, IL wrongful death case.
We know that when it comes to something as sensitive, personal and profound as the wrongful death of a loved one in a tragic fatal car accident, it is important that you take your time to choose the right wrongful death lawyer to represent you. You deserve thoughtful, skilled, and tenacious legal representation in your Pontiac, IL fatal car accident case. That is why our Pontiac, IL legal team has worked hard to provide a wealth of resources to assist those who have been harmed by others in Pontiac, IL and throughout Missouri. Before making the decision to hire a lawyer, learn more about how to choose the right law firm, answers to frequently asked questions about wrongful death claims and other information and guidance about your legal options through our free books and podcasts.
Our winning wrongful death lawyers in Pontiac, IL are always available to answer your questions for free. If you are unsure about what to do, if you have a wrongful death case, if you need a lawyer or would like to speak to a lawyer about your case, contact our knowledgeable and dedicated lawyers today. If someone you love was killed in a fatal car accident in Pontiac, Missouri, take the first step toward justice and closure by calling Burger Law now at (314) 500-HURT.
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Genevieve and Laura have assisted me in my personal injury claim and have made the process so much less stressful. They are extremely knowledgeable, professional, and attentive. Laura is always on top of everything and very sweet. I had no idea how to navigate this process and they have made me feel at ease and like they truly cared about the outcome.
It has been a long 4 years, but it is finally over! Burger law did a great job handling my case. Grant Doty answered all my questions, promptly returned my phone calls, frequently kept me updated and insured me that he was fighting for me. Jennifer Zini also did a wonderful job, great customer service. It was pleasure getting to know the Burger Law team!
After a driver unexpectedly pulled out right in front of my motorcycle & I suffered injuries, the at-fault driver’s insurance company offered me a $10,000 settlement. I hired Burger Law & they won a $109,000 settlement. I was very happy with the outcome. They were easy to work with & fully explained each step of the process & kept me informed along the way.
At Burger Law | St. Louis Personal Injury Lawyer, we are a team of personal injury attorneys who have earned many distinctions and peer-reviewed awards for our civil litigation and trial work in Missouri and Illinois. A few of the honors we have earned include the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, Top 100 Trial Lawyer Award, a Martindale-Hubbell AV rating, Super Lawyers selection as one of the top attorneys in the field of personal injury and board certifications in Civil Litigation.
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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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